The Chemistry Test
by loveoverpride
Summary: AU: The search is on to find the perfect duo for DC's newest morning show, during the golden 9am hour. Will Los Angeles' favorite anchor and Charleston's darling news personality hit it off during the final test? (Some characters from HTGAWM will be featured.)
1. Chapter 1

Fitz Grant had it made.

Seeing his face everywhere — commercials, on the sides of buses, magazines, and billboards — confirmed that life as he knew it, was good. As co-anchor to the illustrious Kimberly Mitchell, they were the fun-loving duo on KCSD, dominating the timeslots of 6 and 11PM. He could go anywhere and get what he wanted. The perks of being a photogenic news anchor. It was the closest thing to be spoiled as an early 40-something. On paper, he had so much going for him; _News at 6 with Kim and Fitz_ , was the highlight of everyone's evening in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. He was the golden boy; resting until 2pm, getting to the station by 3, working until 11:30. His routine was like clockwork, easy and comfortable. Numerous appearances at galas, store openings, and fun events. The dating game was a little difficult because of his work schedule, but it was fun to meet new people whenever he could.

But over time, he had this sense of longing to do something different. He was questioning his career's trajectory.

He called his agent, Abigail Whelan, and brainstormed about what he could do to make some changes. Of course, Abby gave him a lecture of how important it was to be on top, and how strange it would be to just up and leave. This was their normal - bouncing ideas, arguing, and then coming to a solution. After a rough patch at the beginning of their dynamic, Fitz and Abby had become very close friends. She knew what he would like and what appearances he would not prefer. They both called each other out, but knew it was for the best. He would do his job, she would do hers.

Yes, it did seem like he was out of his mind to leave. But the following questions ran through his mind constantly: _When is the right time to move on? Move forward with your life? Even if the situation you're in is fun, successful, and most importantly, comfortable?_

Abby began to research for new opportunities in journalism across the country. Throughout the grapevine, she received word that a top-rated station in Washington, DC, had put out a call for new anchors. A rumor had been spreading - the producer had fired a previous team because they weren't bringing in acceptable ratings and they wanted to have a landmark show in the morning.

Three thousand miles away to start new? It was crazy, but it sparked something inside of him.

Fitz had only been to Washington twice in his life. A tour of the well-known museums when he was 10 years old and an Inauguration Ball party, thanks to a connection he had. But the secretive press release was too good to pass. After much thought and support from others closest to him, Fitz called off for two days and took a red-eye to visit the East Coast. When he arrived, he immediately noticed how this city was a different kind of busy. Intrigued by the wealth of knowledge and history, he knew it could be an area he could get accustomed to.

With Abby's blessing, Fitz applied for the position, sending off a current reel of his top moments at the station, that varied from serious topics to funny and light-hearted segments. Hoping that would help him forgo the initial round of interviews and allow him more time to get things situated. Soon after, a call from an assistant director in Washington confirmed his next interview. But he was needed on Monday. He received the call on Saturday afternoon.

Everything was going so fast; taking another red-eye, breaking the news to his boss and Kim, that he might be moving on.

After the first round of interviews, subsequently making the cut, Fitz was becoming more confident in his chances.

Along with Abby, Fitz drove around, seeing what Washington had to offer. The day after the interview, he had a meeting with a realtor who had much success with other news personalities in the area. Fitz was told the perfect condo or loft would be found, either in Northwest or by the baseball stadium. All before sundown. No need to look across the border to Arlington or on the other side to Chevy Chase or Bethesda, in Maryland.

Staying at the Mayflower Hotel was nice, but if he was going to get this job, he would need something more permanent immediately.

Fitz Grant was looking for the next level in his life.

* * *

"Hey Kyle," Fitz called his boss in Los Angeles, "I'm on my way to my second interview. Not sure how it will go, but I'll give you a ring once I find out. See ya."

The Uber stopped in front of the building. WWTK. Fitz slid his credit card through the reader, punching in the amount for his tip to the driver. "Thanks a lot."

Wearing his favorite navy blue suit, light blue dress shirt, and a dark tie, he was feeling good about himself. Taking a deep breath, Fitz entered the building, signing in, taking the elevator to the fifth floor. When the door opened, he was greeted by a familiar face.

"Fitz!"

"Hello, my good man! I didn't know you worked here."

Marcus Walker, a former co-worker from L.A., beaming while casually shruggling, "You know. Just another stop in the grand scheme of things. Welcome to DC. How was your flight?"

"It was alright, still getting used to the time change."

"Well, the person you need to see is in that office over there," Marcus pointed. "No matter what. Just keep your cool."

That confused Fitz. Eyebrows knitted, he asked, "What?"

Marcus laughed while walking away. "Trust me. Let's catch up when you're done. I have a meeting in five."

Waving goodbye, Fitz strolled into the particular suite, mentioning to the receptionist of his appointment, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It was odd to be patient, not quite his strongest suit. Fitz sighed, smoothing out his tie down several times, distracting himself. There was no need to be anxious, but the whole situation could be a huge stepping stone in his career.

"Good morning, Mr. Grant."

He rose to shake hands with a beautiful dark-haired woman approaching him. She moved with authority and that was incredibly sexy.

"Good morning, Miss..."

"Keating. Annalise, to be exact. WWTK executive producer. Thank you for coming in. I know you and your team were told about our search of a dynamic, charming co-host for our new morning show. It's in the 9-10AM slot. Perfect for late rises and stay at home-parents. Walk with me."

Fitz smiled, as they made their way to her personal office."Yes, the opportunity sounds very appealing." Annalise invited him to sit down.

"Since you passed the first round of interviews with one of our directors, I would like to invite you to participate in a chemistry test. I'm sure you've gone through this before at your current station. You will be reading sample prompts and we want to see how you and the other person mesh. We want to see fireworks."

"You got it," he agreed, nodding. "Would I know of anyone?"

"Depends on who you know," Annalise replied, in a somewhat cold tone, but she had a smirk on her face. "We have several candidates, coming from all over the country. Just do what you have to do to get noticed. Can you come into the studio now?"

Enthusiastically, Fitz answered. "Yes, ma'am."

As he spoke with Annalise, he began to relax. He knew his natural, God-given genes would help his case. Tall, dark-haired, with a smile that no one could compete with. But his charisma, the way he was able to connect with his co-workers and guests — he thought that was the reason why he was successful. Of course, whenever he spoke, people listened. He was a leader in front of the camera and backstage.

The green room, was decked out with a fancy cappuccino machine, plush couches, and a full-body mirror that anyone could use before rushing off to the set.

Four individuals — one man and three ladies — were also waiting, going over lines. He noticed that he probably was the oldest of the group. It shouldn't have bothered him, but a little bit of doubt was creeping in. Had he phased out of being the ideal candidate?

Always the gentleman, he greeted the others. "Good morning, everyone."

"Fitz Grant?"

His eyes shifted to the voice. "Yes, that's me."

One of the ladies, a blonde with a short bob hairstyle, extended her hand. "Amanda Tanner. I've seen you on TV in Los Angeles. KCSD. You're great!"

He smiled, graciously replying, putting his hands in his pocket. "That's great you've been able to watch."

"What brings you to DC," the man questioned.

"A change."

After a few minutes of small talk, Fitz glanced over to the last individual in the room he had not talked to. A petite African-American woman, with shoulder-length hair, was sitting in the corner, in a black dress and red pumps, focused on the piece of paper she was reading. He didn't want to interrupt her, so he chose to sit in an available chair to prepare. She was probably the one to look out for.

Amanda mentioned to Michaela Pratt, who seemed to be a younger version of Annalise, "I heard they brought in Laurel Castillo all the way from Miami."

"There's no doubt. They'll hired her like _that_ ," Jake Ballard commented, snapping his fingers. The athletic-looking transplant from Chicago, added, "DC needs more diversity. Not just the reporters. The anchors."

Cyrus Beene, the news director, stormed in, announcing, "Good morning. Please remember this is just a screen test. No need to do anything fancy. Act as natural as possible. Following me. I need Fitz Grant and Michaela Pratt."

The two rose, moving in Cyrus' wake.

"By the way they're treating us, you would think we were rookies," Michaela complained while finding her seat at the desk,

Fitz shrugged.

"Teleprompter is straight ahead. The cameras are labeled. Alright in 5, 4, 3…"

"Rain or shine, we are _Morning Live_ , I'm Fitzgerald Grant."

Ten minutes later, he and Michaela were done.

Cyrus said, "Okay, Fitz, take a twenty, and we will call you back out."

As he strutted away, the woman he hadn't met, confidently entered the studio.

"What do you bring to the table," Amanda asked. The other woman replied, but he couldn't catch the answer.

Fitz stood in the very back to observe.

After the countdown was called, she began.

"It is July 10th, here in Washington. Rise and shine, this is _Morning Live_ , I am..."

Two directors were yapping about some technical issues, so Fitz missed the woman's name. But he was completely mesmerized. He couldn't move.

An assistant stage manager tapped Fitz on the shoulder, waking him out of his trance.

"Mr. Grant, you're next."

Rubbing his hands, he returned to the set. His partner was _her._

"Good morning."

"Hello. Olivia Pope." She lifted her hand to shake his.

"Olivia. Fitzgerald Grant. Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," she nodded, before returning to read the paper on the desk.

"Alright, you two. Act natural," Cyrus barked.

They watched for the cues. Fitz started talking, then Olivia jumped in. It was a different script than before, but everything seemed to be effortless. They didn't have a pep talk, figuring out how to segue from point A to point B; they just knew. Wonderful eye contact. Genuine laughs. Olivia mentioned a quick antecdote during the segement about a local situation in the next county over, while Fitz interjected with something funny.

Nothing seemed forced and it was brilliant. Whenever they looked at each other, Fitz saw a brightness he hadn't seen in a co-anchor in a long time. It was like they had been friends forever.

"And cut!"

Cyrus began to clap. "That's it!"

As the stage manager came around to get the lav microphones, Olivia turned to Fitz, with a friendly wink. "Good job."

"You too," he answered, pulling off his earpiece. "That was fun."

Before they could interact further, the stage manager interrupted, "Alright, Fitz. You can take a 20. We'll call you back in."

He stepped away, trying to watch her next test, with Jake. Still, Fitz was overwhelmed by how good she was, as well as drinking in her beauty.

"She's a powerhouse, isn't she?"

"What?"

Cyrus answered, "Liv Pope. Only the best anchor on the East Coast. Well, Southeast."

"I've never heard of her."

"That's unfortunate. Too bad you've been only focused on California talent."

Slightly embarrassed, Fitz grinned, and turned to walk back to the green room. He couldn't pinpoint why and how he was drawn to her, a stranger. To be honest, she was competition. They were auditioning for the same spot. Who could say what Annalise, Cyrus, and others were looking for.

In all, there were eleven people who were called in for the chemistry test. Some were gregarious. Others had a strong presence. Most could work the camera. While a few had some difficulty with transitions. But Olivia, she had something amazing. Her delivery, her sweet laugh, how she made her partner comfortable.

With all eyes were on her — her energy was undeniable and infectious — and Fitz wanted to know more. Whether or not he got the job. He had to get to know her.

* * *

After an early lunch, everyone was called into the large conference room. Fitz sat with Marcus. Still groggy from the time difference, he was hoping not to doze off.

Shortly after, walked in, was waiting at the head of the table.

"Thank you all for attending. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hire everyone. I only want the most competent, beautiful personalities on my show. I don't care who they are. Squeaky clean track record, veteran in the business. Doesn't matter to me what you look like, how long your resumé. I want success. I don't want bullshit. I don't care for drama, but if background noise helps will help you will perform better, I'll concoct a recipe that will work and bring viewers to us. We will make our decision by tomorrow morning."

And like that, with all eyes on her, Annalise Keating walked out of the room, leaving the whole group speechless.

* * *

Abby counseled Fitz to just relax, and let her do the heavy lifting. But inside the spacious hotel room, that was the last thing Fitz wanted to.

With the fast-paced tests and Annalise's strong words, he didn't seem as confident as when he walked in at 10 in the morning. Besides, he had other things to think about. Was he ready to leave everything behind and start all over? Would it make sense to leave his home, for a new adventure?

He wanted this job. For whatever reason, sitting next to Olivia Pope, revitalized him. Kim Mitchell was brilliant at what she did — delivering the news in a wonderful way, but the connection they had, it took a while. With Olivia, it was instantaneous. It was scary how well they meshed. They were in sync. But maybe he was overthinking, being incredibly smitten by this woman.

Just when his eyelids closed, Abby called. Scrambling, throwing all kinds of calm out out the window, Fitz answered the phone.

"Hey, what's up."

"Fitz."

"Yeah?"

"Stop playing calm. I know you've been sitting on pins and needles."

"Whatever," he said, running his hand through his brown hair that curled at the ends, ruining the gel that he used to style it perfectly.

"I heard back from Annalise, and I've got great news. You got it. Lead anchor for _Morning Live_."

He fist pumped, then allowed his emotions to take over, letting out a hearty yell.

"Congrats, dear Fitz."

Fitz fell back onto the bed, relieved that he impressed everyone, including Annalise. This was the moment he needed to propel him to the next level.

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"What?"

Abby laughed, "You don't want to know who you're working with?"

"Okay," he smiled, not as concerned, but willing to humor Abby, as he poured his favorite Scotch into a glass. "Who has the pleasure of being my right hand man?"

"Woman. Olivia Pope."

All effortless confidence flew out the window. He sputtered, "What? Who did you say?"

"Olivia Pope. The one with the bright red heels. She was there with you. The fourth screen test."

Fitz didn't want to sound completely dumbfounded, so he admitted, "Oh, okay. Wanted to make sure I heard right. You know when I get excited, I block things out."

"Hmm. Is there a problem?"

"No. Not at all."

Abby chuckled, "Okay, I'm going to receive a draft of the contract. I'll wait until dinner to hand it to you."

"Okay. Bye."

This was what he wanted.

Now, the next step; making sure the chemistry he thought that existed between him and Olivia was real enough to present in front of thousands.

* * *

 _Hi, there! Yes, it's something new. But this been brewing since September 2017, and finally, it was time to share. It won't be a long story, but after the crossover episodes, and watching T on Today and other spots, it inspired me to write about Olitz as TV co-hosts partners. Hope you'll stick around for the next part — Olivia's POV._

 _xo_


	2. Chapter 2

There was nothing that was going to keep Olivia Pope down.

A go-getter since the fourth grade, she had her eyes on becoming an anchor on primetime network television. Watching the news since she was a little girl, admiring the women on the screen, confidently sitting at the anchor desk, Olivia knew that was all she ever wanted.

Following the path set by her journalism heroes, and receiving the best training from her affluent parents and others, Olivia C. Pope was determined to find the best opportunity for herself.

As soon as she left Princeton with her Journalism degree, she returned home to Charleston, working her way up the ladder.

Three years as a field reporter and weekend morning anchor paid off tremendously when her bosses promoted her to the 5, 6, and 11PM time slots. With her grit, honesty, and beauty, she has become the city's favorite. The signature "Pope" walk on small and big screens when her name was announced in commercials was a fan favorite. It was great being one of the most popular figures in the Low country region. Didn't hurt that she was born and raised in Charleston. Everyone loved Olivia Pope. But as much as she appreciated the support and well wishes, she knew there was more this career could offer.

A thought crossed her mind as she watched several co-workers moved on to various cities. What is beyond South Carolina?

The alerts on her phone would pop up whenever a job opening was posted. Olivia kept her eye on Washington and New York. When she read Annalise Keating's name attached to the press release, Olivia recognized a shift in her conscience or, as she called it, her gut. The description sounded appealing and with the premier station for the Mid-Atlantic region.

The moment was hers and she was going to take it.

Without sharing with most of the people in her circle, Olivia planned her visit. Reel sent, tickets purchased, hotel room reserved. Olivia had made it to D.C. in record time. Outside of the required vacation time, she never called out of work, but this was different.

The process was fine — meeting with Annalise, introducing herself to the other talent, whom she did not immediately connect with. Even though she needed to find someone to have a marketable reliability to, so they could earn money and clout on the station. Pulling out all the stops and letting her innate charm shine, Olivia did her best. All in a black dress and fiery red heels.

Because of her spunky personality and no-nonsense attitude, Olivia's segments rose in popularity and hits on YouTube boomed. This ray of Southern sunshine could not be missed, Wearing the best outfits, inspiring others to copy her style, _The Pope Approach_ , was a winner.

After submitting her application, it was a miracle that she was handpicked by Annalise Keating to get interviewed. The 90-minute flight was spent analyzing the station's demographics, figuring out if it would be a good match.

"Miss Pope, please come this way."

During her first session with Annalise, the tone was professional and genuine.

"You're at the top of your game, Olivia. Prime real estate. Three years as a field reporter and four years as a mainstay anchor? Why here? Why now?"

Taking a breath, Olivia was ready to explain herself. "The time I spent in Charleston has been a wonderful experience, I couldn't ask for more. It has prepared me to want more."

Annalise nodded, clasping her hands. "I see. Are you in it for the long haul? How about a team player? We will be hiring a whole new staff for this new project and everyone will be required to bring fresh ideas to the table and collaborate."

"Yes and yes."

With a smile, Annalise stood. "Thank you for meeting with me. Let me show you to the green room."

Observing the pool of talent, Olivia tried not to compare, but it was human nature to do so. Some were duds to be honest, not having any kind of spark. Others seemed to be shoo-ins. When she laid eyes on the tall one, she knew it would be a fight. He appeared to be the best candidate for the position, even though he looked older than everyone else. The camera didn't always forgive age. But he had this classic appearance that would draw audiences.

"I see you hail from the Palmetto State."

"Charleston."

Jake Ballard, leaned against the wall, grinning. "Love how you say it. It's unique."

Being as polite as she could be, Olivia offered a cordial smile and answered, "You might catch a little bit of my 'accent', but I do my best to not let it out too heavily." The vibe she got from Jake wasn't ideal, but whatever…

Everyone seemed to be trying to make good with the others, to impress Annalise and co. Olivia kept her poise, staying focused, reading a script. The goal was to show her work ethic and still display her personable side.

"Who am I being paired with for this round," she asked, as she adjusted her ear piece.

"Fitz Grant."

Olivia's eyes widened.

"Is everything alright?"

"Nothing," she corrected, adjusting the stunned look on her face, her papers on the desk. "Lost track of the rotation. Was expecting Ballard or Laurel Castillo."

A minute later, Fitz joined her.

"Hello, Olivia Pope."

"Olivia. Fitzgerald Grant."

The two shook hands, sharing a quick moment before getting to work.

Cyrus, the veteran leader, directed them. And just like that, they were on a roll. When she laughed, he laughed. He would start the read, and effortlessly, Olivia joined. It was a great departure from the bland pairings from before. The chemistry test went fairly well. During a thirty second reset, Olivia turned to the side screen. They looked good together. Fitz Grant? What a sexy man. From her time with working with other men at WASC, Olivia pinpointed great factors for his success. A leader with incredible charm. Did they really make eye contact and actually connect? That was so much different than reading with the Jake guy and Michaela.

Michaela, the enthusiastic and beautiful, young candidate, commented as Olivia walked off the set, "Did you notice the vibes? Y'all were in sync. I'm sure everyone saw."

Olivia wisely drank some water to clear her palette. "I work well with everyone."

"But you have to admit. Annalise picked the sexiest woman and man."

"I don't know about him, but I'm nothing to yawn over. See you later."

* * *

Olivia returned to her hotel, taking some time to review projects that were sent during the two days she had been up North.

The phone rang, interrupting her train of throught. Glancing at the caller ID, the number wasn't familiar to her, but it was local.

"Hello?"

"Olivia Pope?"

"Yes, this is she."

"This is Annalise Keating from WWTK. I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."

"Not at all. How can I help you?"

"I wanted to inform you that we would like to offer you the position of co-host for _Morning Live._ "

Olivia's stomach did a somersault while her heart skyrocketed. It hadn't even been two hours. Without getting too emotional, she replied, "Thank you!"

"The team and I were impressed with your interview and audition. I knew we had to have you with us. Cyrus couldn't stop singing your praises, and now I'm part of this exclusive chorus. Would you like to accept this position, effective next week?"

"Yes. I accept, thank you so much."

"Great. I will be in touch. Please email my HR manager, Connor, with any contacts, such as your agent."

Olivia agreed. "Do you have clearance to discuss who is the other host?"

"Certainly. We just confirmed with his agent. Fitzgerald Grant, from Los Angeles."

As long as she received her due, and was an equal, it didn't matter who was her partner.

To know that a respected member of the news community had seen the potential in her, and to give her this opportunity was more than she could wish for.

She was going to run this bitch.

* * *

She told her parents first, and they were elated. Then, Olivia had to break the news to her boss. He wasn't as happy, but he understood. He didn't want to stunt her growth as a media personality. Thankfully, her contract had some wiggle room, given that she was going to a market nine hours away.

It would be different; instead of only reporting the news of the metropolitan area, she would be allowed to talk about various subjects that catered towards lifestyle.

As the plane touched down into Charleston International, Olivia turned on her phone to find a congratulatory text from her partner, Quinn Perkins. They had been working together for the last 18 months, becoming a power duo. She was one of the few people Olivia confided in, when it came to her potential job switch.

Driving to Downtown, and seeing the familiar surroundings of Route 26, made her heart swell. So much had happened for her, once she returned home from college. It wouldn't be a "so long", just a "goodbye for now."

Olivia heard an email notification.

 _From akeating/wwtk_

 _To: ocpope /wasc; fitzgrant/kcsd_

 _Hello, Olivia and Fitz,_

 _Congratulations and welcome aboard to WWTK and Morning Live! Please reply to this email with your phone numbers - the ones that you will actually use so you can correspond with each other. We're looking for connection and chemistry. The audience can sniff frauds and so eliminate that._

 _On the 1st, your new email addresses will be active, so be on the lookout for that information._

 _Thanks,_

 _AK_

Olivia's cheeks rose, after reading this first of many emails from her new boss.

Later on, she sent a text to her boyfriend of four years, Edison Davis, a prominent investor, asking to meet for dinner and drinks. He agreed; it had been a while since they went out together, because of their busy schedules, so it would be good to reconnect.

His reaction to the news was not what she was expecting.

"So?"

Olivia couldn't help but to enthusiastically answer, "She called and I said yes. I couldn't believe how highly she thought of me. This is more than I could imagine."

Edison hesitated, while slowly lowering his fork and knife.

"What, what's wrong? Is your steak dry?"

Shaking his head, he said, "I didn't think you were actually going to do it."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Olivia and Edison had an up-and-down kind of relationship. Both were career-driven, always at the top of their game. After meeting at a social gathering after Olivia's promotion at the station, they were inseparable. They were fond of each other, becoming the attractive "It" couple in Charleston, always attending corporate galas, and media events. On paper, they had it all - rich, beautiful, well-liked, and great role models in the community.

When it came to personal progress, they were negligent to admit that their were stagnant, just meandering through, and not bothering to address the issues.

"When you decided to switch jobs two years ago, I didn't bat an eye. How is this different, E?"

With an exasperated sigh, Edison declared, "I wasn't leaving the state and I was actually making a lateral move, not deciding to take a blind leap upward."

The stone cold glare Edison received from Olivia was downright scary. The walk back to the Battery was not pleasant, with dead silence. Olivia was crushed. Even her tough as nails parents were more accepting of her choice.

After leaving to change clothes, Olivia found Edison sprawled on the couch. She opted for the chair, opening her laptop, and began to type.

Edison asked, "What's that?"

Without looking, she answered, "I'm finishing my letter of resignation."

"Are you kidding?"

"Not at all."

Edison frowned; "I thought our conversation at dinner would make you think some more about it. It's that final? You are going to drop this position you've worked your ass off, to start fresh in a new city?"

"Yes."

"Hope it's worth it," he scoffed.

Olivia wanted to disappear to her room, but instead, she pulled her soft curls back into a ponytail, beyond furious, ready to fire back with her words. "So you're doubting my decision making? If you can't support me, then we should not be together."

"Liv."

"Don't _Liv_ me. Your condescening tone is out of line and I won't tolerate this."

Edison stood from the couch, opening his arms. "You can't just end this because we disagree. Let's talk."

"No. You're the one who is not board," Olivia pointed at him. "We're not married, so honestly, you should be thankful I gave you the courtesy to inform you. I wasn't the first person you told about your career moves. Now, please, I would like you to leave."

"Let's talk some more. How about you draw a bath and we can talk about this over wine?"

Olivia clearly announced, "Get out."

"Oh, come on, Olivia, stop it."

"You knew I wanted to go to a bigger market. I'm sure if anything changes, they would let me come back."

"Don't be so sure."

Olivia marched to the door, opening it wide, and waited for her guest to exit.

Edison didn't try to apologize, only sulked away.

It took a few minutes to calm down from the embarrassment she just experienced. After she sent her well-crafted and respectful letter, Olivia wandered to sift through her belongings, figuring out what to take with her, and which items to donate.

Then, another phone call.

"Now what," she muttered, snatching her phone off of the bed. The area code read "213".

"Hello?"

"Hi, Olivia?"

"Yes?" Her voice was still snippy.

"This is Fitz. Fitz Grant."

"Oh. Hello, Fitz. Forgive me for my tone."

"It's okay. It's late, hope I'm not interrupting anything. I received your email. Congratulations."

"Thank you, same to you."

"Do you want to meet up tonight or tomorrow morning, in hopes we can get to know each other before Monday's meeting?"

Olivia reached for her planner, scanning her notes. "Umm, I'm actually in Charleston, getting things in order, so that won't be possible. But I'll be back Sunday afternoon. How about 6 for dinner?"

"I think that could work," Fitz said. "I'll figure out a central location and I'll email you the details."

"Great. Or text. Texting might be easier, since I'll be packing."

"Hey, are you okay?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'm fine," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Just a lot going on. Forgot that not everyone would be happy for my thanks for asking."

"I know what you mean. Change is a pain in the ass."

Letting out a small laugh, Olivia added, "Yes, it is."

"Okay, I will let you go. Have a good night and I'll talk to you soon."

"You too, Fitz."

She disconnected the call, closing her eyes. What an awful evening. Taking some time for a good cry in the shower, then to rest, Olivia wondered why her good news wasn't received well. Why was it harder for her to follow her dreams, without being criticized?

It wasn't going to matter anyway, because she believed that this decision was the right one. Washington was now on the horizon.


	3. Chapter 3

Sunday arrived.

Olivia was far from ready to interrupt her move — all by herself — with this first meeting. With a car loaded with two large suitcases, five pairs of heels in a duffel bag, and a full tank of gas, she began her trek at 2am. Instead of taking the easy route of flying, she wanted to use the ten hours to clear her head. The drive included tears, long phone calls with her mom and best friend, and two stops to Cookout — a place she would miss a lot once she got off I-95.

Even as a modern day woman, Olivia was unsure why the person she had spent years being with and supporting, had not been encouraging of her personal goals and career path. The daunting conversation with Edison truly rocked her to the core. Honestly, it crushed her. Her career ultimately came first and she turned a blind eye to his misogyny, even while it was subtle.

Now, on their indefinite break, she was free to do whatever she wanted. For herself.

The clock read _3:04_. Seeing the white sign with red stars, Olivia arrived to the District of Columbia, her new home. Grateful she made it to her destination because everything hurt and she was exhausted.

Her agent booked a hotel room a few blocks from the news station, so the commute would only be a few blocks away. All the driving would help her avoid any more time in the car than she needed. She would have to start looking for apartments or condos soon enough.

After getting settled in the hotel and taking a short nap, lounging in a tank and sweatpants, Olivia decided to finally text her new co-worker.

 _Hi, Fitz, it's Olivia_.

A minute later, she received a message.

 _Hi! Did you make it in okay?_

 _Yes, got in two hours ago, thanks for asking. Are you still on for dinner?_

 _Absolutely._

 _Great. Where should we meet?_

The fury of characters typing stopped. Olivia found it odd, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he had to take a call, or better yet, was actively finding a good place to eat at. To be honest, she was starving, wanting anything that didn't come in a greasy paper bag.

Her phone abruptly lit up and his name was showcased.

"Hello?"

"Hi. I was getting tired of texting."

"Oh, okay. Not a problem," she said. "Where should we meet up for dinner?"

"How about the Capital Grille? I heard it was nice and it's right by the Friendship Heights Metro."

Olivia searched for the restaurant on her iPad. It had good reviews, and not far from where she was staying.

"Meet in an hour?"

Fitz replied, "Sounds great."

"Okay, so it's a date."

"A what?"

Olivia paused, figuring out what she said. Was she confusing him? Did she use the wrong lingo? Was she implying this was more than a work outing?

She rushed with her goodbye. "I'll see you then."

* * *

Fitz stood inside the restaurant lobby, tapping his foot, looking for her, waiting for her arrival. He remembered what she looked like — petite, stunning, and poised. After that memorable day, he couldn't stop thinking of her. Even before he found out who Annalise was going to pick, he knew Olivia Pope was a force and he needed to get to know her. The evenng would be a perfect opportunity to talk to her, without an audience. If all went well, this would be the start of many nights talking and working together.

He went to check his appearance in the bathroom — a sleek black t-shirt, jeans, and casual Chelsea boots — before returning to his seat. Nerves didn't come to him easily when he was out and about in Los Angeles. But maybe it was confirmation that he needed a change in location.

"Hello."

Her voice nearly startled him back to reality. Standing tall, he turned to greet Olivia, who looked amazing. Oversized Gucci sunglasses, a lightweight blue top, white shorts, and sandals. For someone who said she was exhausted, she appeared to be a vision. He was overwhelmed by her beauty.

"Good evening."

They shook hands.

"Hi."

"How's it going?"

"I'm fine."

"When did you get in?"

"Yesterday," Fitz replied. "All of this moving around had me beat, so I slept all day."

"Lucky. As soon as we're done, that's what I'll be doing. Sleepin'."

Fitz smiled at Olivia, "Nice."

There was a strange nervous energy between them, and he didn't fully understand why. They were professionals; work dinners and happy hours were a thing. His co-host for years was a beautiful woman, and he never felt a need to overdo it to impress someone. But this? This was different.

A few seconds had passed; they were still holding hands.

"I clearly have no manners."

Olivia laughed as she lifted her shades. "It's alright. I didn't let go so... it's been a long day. I must need face-to-face interaction with people!"

"Sir, the table is ready. Follow me, please."

It felt like the timing was perfect for them, both were relieved to move. Fitz waited for the host and Olivia to walk in front of him. Being professional, my ass, he thought. The way her hips swayed, and how she commanded the floor, was driving him crazy.

When they reached their table, on the side patio, he pulled himself together. He would not let physical attraction ruin his time here. It was business. But not as usual.

A server arrived soon after, offering them menus, and taking their drink orders.

"What would you like to start with?"

Their eyes met; Olivia's shifted down to the words in front of her. "Sparkling water and a glass of your best full-bodied red, please."

"A glass of Pinot, if you have it."

It wasn't what they were expecting; acting like teenagers, fumbling to discuss anything, being timid if they looked at each other. As people whose livelihood depend on jumpstarting conversations, being even-keeled, they were failing big time.

Olivia began to speak, after sipping on her water. "Here is the million dollar question, Fitz. What brings you to Washington? Why now? I know you come from an illustrious career in Los Angeles."

It was a good start. Shrugging, he answered, "You did your research. Well, I was ready to do something new. It's been a good run, but I want to start over. Professionally and personally. How about you, Olivia?"

She adjusted her sunglasses, looking beyond Fitz's shoulder. "I feel like I plateaued in Charleston. Yeah, I was popular and could have stayed. But I knew something bigger was out there. I want to be challenged."

"That makes sense. I'm glad you decided to take this step for yourself."

The sunrays touching their raised wine glasses, Fitz proposed a toast.

"To us. To this new show."

Olivia smirked, as she took a sip. "Thank you. So now that the sentimental shit is out of the way, let's talk about work."

Fitz's pupils grew, upper lip twitching in amusement. "Okay then. What do you think about the fierce Annalise Keating?"

"She is a goddess."

"She is the one person you want on your good side at all times."

"No, that's me," Olivia quipped, before delicately bringing a piece of warm bread to her lips.

After an hour of enjoying each other's company, learning about work ethics, similiarites and differences, over hearty entreés and more wine, they both received an email notification from the woman of the hour.

 _Staff meeting at 10am sharp. -AK_

"Fuck," Olivia whispered, placing her napkin down. "I should have planned this better. I need more than eight hours of sleep. I'll need to get going soon."

Fitz gestured for the server. "That's true. But I think we will be okay for tomorrow. I'm sure there will be a lot of questions and team exercises with the staff. Seems like an eclectic bunch. They're all so young. Over here, the old dog will be learning new tricks."

It wasn't lost on Olivia to hear such foolishness. "Stop that. I thought you were the overly confident Fitzgerald Grant. I ain't working with insecure people."

"Is that so," he leaned back, giving her a snarky look. "I can't disappoint you."

"That's right. Don't."

The server graciously interrupted them. "One or two checks?"

The two weren't on the same page. Olivia declared "Separate," while Fitz asked for one.

"Oh, come on." She lifted her hands. This wasn't her forte, allowing others to pay for her.

Fitz shook his head, before slipping his credit card in the leather folder. "You got into town after me. So I'm your host for the evening."

Olivia rolled her brown eyes, which made Fitz's heart skip a beat. "Fine, but next time, It's on me."

"We will see about that."

It was clear to Olivia that she could could tell there was something about Fitz that she could work with. As a fellow newcomer, they would be able to connect during the upcoming long hours, days, and weeks. Then, as a cherry on top, he was gorgeous, and she knew he found her to be attractive. She noticed every gesture. He was a fucking wreck, but it was cute.

With doggie bags in hand, Fitz and Olivia said their goodbyes at the street corner.

"I'll see you in the morning," she pressed the crosswalk button. "You drink coffee?"

"I do."

"How do you take it?"

Fitz answered without hesitation, "Simple. Black and strong."

That phrase came out too quickly. He nervously laughed, rubbing his jaw, while Olivia nodded, flipping her ponytail behind her shoulder. Oh, the memories of this first dinner. As she waved to him, about to walk off, she left him with this:

"Alrighty. That's what you'll get tomorrow. Maybe a doubleshot, because once we're in that studio, I'm bringing it. Don't disappoint, Fitz."

* * *

 _I didn't realize y'all would enjoy this thing. Sorry for the delay. It's a short chapter, but you're getting to see how O & F meet officially. Later this week, you'll get to read about Day One. xo_


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the delay! A brief sickness had me so exhausted... But I hope you enjoy. xo_

* * *

Routine was her favorite word. All of Olivia's life was rooted in pattern appreciation and taking comfort in things being in order. Her parents instilled the consistency.

Her mornings were simple. With the exception of rushing to the station for a breaking story, Olivia would wake up every day, trained to get dressed in athleisure wear, go out for a run or do yoga exercises in the living room, showering, brewing a cup of coffee while checking emails, packing a lunch, and heading off to work. Now in Washington, Olivia didn't want that routine to change; it was only a different location. But as her eyes opened to find the sun rays pouring light into the temporary space — the spacious and beautiful hotel suite — she realized one thing: It would take more time than she thought to get accustomed to this new life.

Olivia had a power outfit that she wore on every first day; a grey jacket, white tank, and form fitting black slacks. Being a petite woman, she used her five-inch heels to lift her danceresque frame. Standing tall and walking with a vengeance was her speciality. Even though she rightfully earned the position of co-host, the powerful admonishment of her father replayed in her mind: You have to be twice as good as them to get half of what they have.

That could mean anyone — men, people who didn't look like her, or more established individuals. It didn't matter. She was not going to rest on her laurels. Especially not on the first day.

Face beat. Clothes pressed. Lunch packed. Materials in her purse. Olivia was ready for the day.

There was a coffee shop two doors down from the building. She ordered her favorite chai latte and a medium sized black coffee, as she promised. With the tray in her hand and purse straps swung over her shoulder, Olivia swiped her badge, allowing her inside the building.

Wondering if this first meeting would be different than her regular newscast briefings, she took a breath, ready to conquer everything. The first day for _Morning Live_ would be one for the books.

She was directed into the brightly lit conference room. Ten people were already inside, chatting it up, drinking their morning fuel. Fitz was in the corner, going over something, looking quite handsome, dressed in a white shirt and grey slacks.

Olivia felt her cheeks slightly rise. Her co-host was the best looking person in the room and to be honest, that excited her.

In the process of walking up to Fitz, she watched Michaela Pratt, one of the segment producers, glide over to him. She was beautiful, and the peppy type, who probably modeled herself after Annalise. Olivia could spot how over the top she was; Michaela was acting all sorts of a hot mess around Fitz, wearing a hot pink blazer, black skirt, and heels that were a little higher than usual for a first day gathering.

"Good morning, Mr. Grant," she extended her hand, "My name is Michaela Pratt and I am very excited to be working with you."

With a chuckle, he said hi. "You can call me Fitz. I'm not a professor or anything. Glad to be working with you too."

Michaela beamed. "Okay, _Fitz_!"

The younger ones had a level of spunk and vigor that Olivia found somewhat endearing, but mainly obnoxious. Their enthusiasm had to be commended, ready to rub shoulders with the veterans.

Profusely denying any hints of jealousy and shifting her eyes away from the second hand embarrassment, Olivia pivoted towards an available seat. She placed the tray down, and grabbed the packet her boss created. Compact but full of information. Procedures, call sheets, how much vacation time she would receive per season. Since it was more of a variety show setting, it was quite different than the news outlet she was accustomed to.

"Excuse me, Miss."

She lifted her head; Fitz was standing next to her with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous grin.

"Yes?"

"You walk into the room and you decided to ignore me? I'm shocked."

Olivia noticed the intensity in Fitz's blue eyes; they were striking. No one could avoid his pointed look. If she was a weakling, she'd buckle and fall into them. But that wasn't her forte.

"You were busy," she curtly responded, pretending to be unbothered. Her acting skills needed some work.

"Oh. Okay," Fitz answered with a laugh, then leaned over to say, "Good morning, partner."

Olivia's lips cracked into a smile. "Good morning."

"Which one is mine?"

Fitz gestured to the tray. Olivia handed him the untouched paper cup. With a nod, he took a long sip.

"Mmm. That tastes good. Thank you. Next time it's on me. May I sit next to you?"

Olivia shrugged, moving her possessions over on the table. "Sure, if no one already claimed it."

Annalise entered, in a sleek black dress, looking like the fearless leader she was. "Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here — on time — tardiness will not be accepted. Ever. Unless there is a family emergency or if 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue calls you to cover a story."

Some laughed, others stood still, a tad nervous by Annalise's firm statements.

"This week is for preparing for our pilot. Our first show is next Monday at 9am. The plan is to support each other, so we can have the best morning show in Washington. Every day, we will have a theme, and everyone will need to contribute. Full participation. Even if you're behind the scenes."

For twenty minutes, Annalise and Cyrus reviewed the introductory packet, answering questions, and led a team building exercise — focusing on cues and quickly adding onto a conversation.

It reminded Olivia of a high school theatre class she attended, in which she had to work on improvisation. Every three minutes, the rotation began, and she went to a new partner, making the best of what she received. While she focused on body language, she mentally noted on other aspects that were important to her — who took the lead most of the time, who was more creative, and if the partner talked over her.

When she and Fitz crossed paths, their drill was seamless.

"Ahh," Cyrus exclaimed, pointing at them. "This is why you got hired. Annalise, do you see the spark they have? I want to work with them all the time."

Annalise crossed her arms, smiling in approval. "I knew what was best."

On average, it took weeks and months to gel with a new co-worker; but in this rare case, the connection needed to happen sooner. Olivia and Fitz had four and a half days.

Thirty minutes later, Annalise brought everyone back to the table, closing the meeting.

"Thank you, everyone. I believe this was a great start. It's going to be a busy week, but it is possible. Your room assignments are in your folder. Now let's disperse and have fun," her voice boomed, prompting the team to applaud.

While the room thinned out, Annalise called for Olivia and Fitz. "Come with me to my office, please."

The two followed her lead, to her luxurious workspace. She offered them seats.

"I wanted to touch base with you before I head off. How did you think the morning went?"

"Pretty well," Olivia stated. "It was nice to meet everyone officially and start on a good note."

"Fitz?"

Olivia watched Fitz lean forward, calm and collected. With his signature smile, he agreed, "I loved it. I'm ready to get to work."

"Excellent," Annalise replied, "I'm happy you both got a sense of what we're trying to do here. It's different than what you're used to. Here's your assignment for this week — I would like you to create an opener and a mini script. Not quite banter, but material that will engage the audience. What you gave in the conference room was remarkable. But we need more. I want you two to get comfortable. Do whatever you need to do to make that happen. There are two rooms you can use to brainstorm, if that's your preference. I'll give you until Thursday. Any questions? Find Cyrus."

Fitz glanced at Olivia, who was jotting notes down. "Thank you."

"Anytime. I want to thank you for coming aboard. I know you two will make a great team. Okay, I'll leave you to it."

Olivia rose to her feet, thanked her boss, and left the room. Fitz bolted to follow her.

"Where are you going?"

Without looking back, she explained, "Finding the room Annalise suggested. We don't have that much time." Olivia peeked through each window, then snapped her fingers when she discovered a large room. "This will do."

They had to get to know each other, fast. More than the limited tidbits from the conversation the night before.

Fitz brought out his notebook, sharing ideas he wrote down during the meeting. The hour went by quickly, asking questions, working on taglines, segues, and tradeoffs.

"What if after each segment, I wink at you?"

Olivia side eyed Fitz, who was standing against the wall, "No, thank you. We have to broadcast chemistry, not flirting."

"Says who?"

"Says me," she continued, not relenting her stern pose.

"Thanks for the correction, Liv."

"Liv?"

Fitz rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh. Sorry."

Olivia paused to think it over, as she twisted her lips. "I kind of like it. Maybe it's the way you say my name."

Turning away, feeling heat rise on her cheeks, she almost wanted to take back everything she said; it was coming off as a flirtatious answer. "You have a great speaking voice. Calming presence. I'll allow it. Compromise?"

Fitz smiled, returning to his seat. His eyes lit up, a sign he received inspiration. He pointed his finger to Olivia, he stated, "Thanks for De- _LIV_ -ering that segment. How about that?"

That soft moment crashed and burned. Olivia tilted her head, let out a scoff, while giving Fitz another stank eye. The ultimate look of disgust while the light in Fitz's eyes faded.

"You didn't like that?"

Dragging out her response, Olivia said, "Absolutely not! So cheesy! Annalise isn't looking for that. Neither am I!"

"But didn't you almost laugh?"

"No. I was hoping for something more clever!"

Fitz shook his head, "It was all right there, Olivia! We need to have some Grant and Pope-isms..."

"Try again. Try harder. Be charming and funny."

"Wait, I'm funny!"

Olivia decided to play it up, rolling her eyes, sighing heavily. "Oh, I don't know. I didn't find that to be funny."

"Not even a little?"

"Try something else," she chuckled, watching Fitz's demeanor change. "You're too experienced to give me lame ass phrases."

It felt good to laugh during an obviously stressful time. They were having fun. That's what the station was looking for. Olivia and Fitz were on their way.

* * *

Two days later, they were in the thick of it. Putting in longer hours to find that perfect recipe of energy, fun, charisma, and sex appeal. Annalise wanted a format that would bring in their desired watching crowds.

Fitz was well on his way to making his office more like home. He strolled in with two boxes of his favorite items. A photograph of his family. Pens. A glass that he could put candy in — he learned that trick from his mother.

Down the hall, Olivia was decorating her new space, with trinkets and essentials needed for the day-to-day, along with extra dresses and outfits, in the closet. Annalise was extra wise to give her this room instead of the others.

Speaking of Annalise, she needed her stars to have a photoshoot; no time like the present to start marketing.

For their first commercial, she wanted their looks to stand out.

Olivia chose a lemon yellow dress with caramel pumps, to elongate her frame, while Fitz picked a navy blue suit — his favorite — with a light blue-grey dress shirt.

As they crossed paths on set, they locked eyes. That was a mistake. The focus Olivia had soften, as she observed her co-host.

"You look nice."

Olivia curtly noted, "Thanks."

"Wow."

"What?"

Fitz crossed his arms, always ready to jump into the hard-to-get mode. "I thought I would receive a similar comment."

Rolling her eyes, Olivia stated, "The feeling is mutual. Lookin' sharp, Grant."

"Tell me something I don't know."

Olivia leaned back, feigning offense, "Excuse me?"

Before they had a chance to prolong their playful banter, Cyrus stormed into the room, hair already disheveled, headset dangling off of his neck.

"Alright, folks. Let's get the show on the road. I need ten perfect shots so I can send it to advertising. AK wants perfection."

Cyrus gave them different poses and blocking. Facing away from each other. Turning in. Each take brought them closer. Backs pressed. Eyes connecting, making glances that were comforting.

"Alright," Cyrus yelled, waving his arms. "Let's do it. In three, two..."

Fitz began reading the teleprompter, with his smooth baritone. "Looking for something new to watch? We're bringing you a fresh take on DC life."

"Before you head out for the day, learn more about your community, and have fun doing it," Olivia added.

"I'm Fitz Grant."

"And I'm Olivia Pope. Join us on Monday at 9am for _Morning Live_."

A quick break for water and touchups, Cyrus offered some advice to the two.

"I have a few tapes from your previous shows. This is what drew us to you. Look at those reels; we want the best."

Back at it, and they were on a mission, looking like models.

Cyrus flailed about, wanting more from them.

"A little more smirk, Fitz. Move that stray curl back, you're not Elvis. Olivia! Drop your shoulders. You're not constipated, right? We need more you, less proper. We want our audience to fall in love with you. Immediately. Instantaneously. Immaculate."

Olivia slightly frowned, adjusting her shoulders, hoping the corrections were what Cyrus wanted. Shooting her eyes to her right, Fitz sat upright on the sofa, focusing on the teleprompter.

"He's so crabby," he whispered. "I should fuck it up so he'll get even more mad."

"Stop it."

Her smile made him stop in his tracks. He loved to see her smile.

"Ready?"

"Yup."

Five screen tests later, four o'clock arrived, the official ending time for the day. Cyrus got what he wanted and he dismissed her golden girl and guy.

Olivia rushed off to her office, changing into something more comfortable.

Timing was always impotant. When she got to the elevator, Fitz was walking towards her.

"Well, hello, there."

"Hi."

"What a day."

She hummed, "You betcha. How many times could we say 'Join us!' without strangling each other?"

Her ears perked when Fitz's laughter started. It was so infectious, she could listen to him all day. But she wouldn't let him know that. Not just yet.

The ride downstairs was quiet. As Olivia started her exit, she heard Fitz ask her a question.

"Heading out?"

"That's the plan."

Fitz opened the front door. "Wanna get a drink?"

"I wish, but I need to rest my feet and start looking at all the listings I received." Olivia twisted her lips, as she watched Fitz nod in understanding, but still looking a little disappointed. "Sorry, hopefully I'm not the only person who will turn you down on a consistent basis. Maybe next time?"

Fitz rocked on his heels, giving her a wink. "Okay. Not a problem. See you tomorrow?"

She grinned and confirmed. "Of course."

As they went their separate ways on Wisconsin Avenue, Olivia had a feeling like she knew.

Something was there.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hope you liked..._

 _For those who wanted this chapter, thanks for being patient._

 _xo_

* * *

Prepping for this new show was a bitch and the anticipation was building. In all his years of news journalism, Fitz had never felt this nervous. Telling the news was all he knew. There were no deviations. He gave it his all and the people loved him for it. Now this was a new concept, using different techniques to present information in a lifestyle, casual format, was going to be harder than he perceived. But he was hired for his reliability and personality; he was going to let those two strengths shine.

When he wasn't at the office, he was apartment hunting. The studio was a mile from the Maryland / DC line, so his options had expanded. The realtor did most of the searching, only giving Fitz the best listings. All he wanted — a large master bedroom and enough space to host gatherings, whenever he was going to make new friends. That was the hard part; He was such a social butterfly, eager to interact. With all the hours spent crafting this new show, he had no time to go out and meet people.

On his weekly phone call with his mother, Catherine, he opened up about his reservations. She was the sole reason why he contemplated not leaving Los Angeles. Her encouragement kept him going over the years.

"How's Washington treating you?"

"I like it, a whole lot."

"What about your co-host?"

"Olivia?"

"Is that her name?"

"Yes, ma'am. She's wonderful. She comes from Charleston, a firecracker. Energetic. Annalise thinks we work well together."

Catherine sighed, "Good old workmanship and chemistry."

"Yes."

"Don't fall for her."

"Mom!"

She laughed loudly in his ear. "I'm only kidding. Everyone can't resist my Fitz. But I know you have show crushes on everyone you work with."

It was a fact that Fitz was a flirter, and would be enamored by a strong, beautiful woman, especially in the office. Most of the time, it would backfire, either in a fail of a date, or misconstrued feelings and actions.

When he sucked his teeth, his mother added, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you on your first day. But I'm glad you and Olivia are working well. Where can I catch this program?"

"I don't know. I'll see if it will be online so you can watch it 9 o'clock your time."

"That's awesome, honey. So," Catherine started, "The likelihood of you visiting me will be slim?"

"Mom, I just left."

"I thought I'd ask…"

Fitz adored Catherine to the moon and back. Their relationship was one of love, respect, and sarcasm; their banter was sweet and funny. It made sense since it had been just the two of them for 30 plus years. When tragedy struck and his father passed away when he was 10 years old, Fitz and Catherine's bond grew stronger because that's all that was left. Being the only child, he was able to learn more and gain affection from her, being each other's rocks during tough times. He wanted to make her proud, in every phase of his life. Even with three thousand miles separating them.

"Possibly Thanksgiving? By then,I should know the status of this show. You know what, it doesn't matter, I'll fly to you."

"You're doing what you love, and that's all I care about."

"Thanks, Mom."

"May I ask one more question?"

Fitz had crossed from his bed to the bathroom, starting to prep his toothbrush. "Sure," he sighed, knowing exactly where she was going.

"What if the show doesn't go well…"

"It will. I don't intend on moving back anytime soon. I quit my long term job for this. I'll find another job on this side of town."

"That's my boy. I love you, Fitzgerald Thomas."

His ears perked whenever she said those three words. It meant the world to him.

"Love you too, Mom."

* * *

Fitz was not a morning person. Never had been. As soon as he graduated from high school, he always opted for classes after 1pm. The bliss of being an established newscaster — having a say of when he could work.

Those days were over.

The obnoxious alarm started blaring at 5:30.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled into the pillow.

Finally, at 5:45, he arose. Only having to take off his grey boxer briefs, Fitz grudgingly showered, letting the hot spray revitalize his senses.

It was the day; the debut of _Morning Live_. Staring at himself in the mirror, Fitz brushed down the wet curls that almost covered his eyes. He desperately wanted to style a certain way in gel. Annalise was insistent about him getting camera ready at the station. She wanted a certain look, he guessed.

By 7, he parked into his new space, strolling into the office in a t-shirt and jeans, ball cap covering his messy hair, backpack slung over his shoulder, garment bag, and his trusty USC alumni mug in his hand.

Once he got situated in his office, he found his way into the break room to get more coffee.

"Good morning."

The cheery greeting from Michaela sounded like a disaster in his ears.

"Mmhmm, mornin'."

His gruff response prompted her to ask, "Not an early riser?"

"Usually, no. But as with all people, I'll warm up."

As quickly as he could, he returned to the office, went to change, then got his hair styled. He realized AK and her team wanted to continue this handsome go-getter look for the Washingtonian viewers. Nothing like getting high ratings than seeing eye candy.

Tanya, the makeup artist, worked on his face, dabbing concealer and light foundation his face. She and Fitz chatted about life in L.A., families, and good scotch. He realized she could be a good person to talk to.

Just as he was getting finished, Olivia walked in, plopping into the chair next to him. Fitz's eyes flitted towards her sleek ensemble — Black top and red pencil skirt. Her hair slicked back into a bun. She looked amazing.

"Wow," he breathed. Did he say it too loud? Probably not because she didn't turn her head. Changing gears, he spoke first. "Good morning."

"Hi, Fitz, good morning."

"You don't have to get your hair done here?"

Olivia pressed her middle fingers on the hairs closest to her forehead, known as "baby hairs". "I didn't want to take a risk. You can never know who on staff. A lot of people don't know how to do my hair. But I'll talk to Annalise, if she actually gives a shit about it."

Her candor was a bright spot for Fitz. For two straight weeks, he was observing almost everything about her. What her interests were; what made her tick, and how would she respond when things didn't go her way. Olivia was definitely a woman who commanded the stage. All eyes on her. Whenever she spoke, he listened. He was smitten. Of course, he couldn't ignore her beauty. She was everything he loved about a woman. Olivia's features were stunning. Gorgeous brown eyes, pouty pink lips. Curvy in the right places. There was a regality to her and a boldness coming from this petite being — that captivated him so much. The determination, the passion.

Somehow, he had to get to know her better, outside the walls of WWTK.

"Touché," he agreed blissfully.

Cyrus marched in, clipboard in hand. "Alright, everyone! Places in five."

Fitz thanked Tanya for her help, standing up. Olivia grinned, walking in front of him.

Pope and Grant were on the move.

The set had been transformed. Stage one: a blue couch, with colorful accent pillows. The kitchen stage was brightly lit, with working appliances. One more spot with three chairs and a orange backdrop.

With the assistants giving the hosts their mic packs, Olivia signaled to the cameramen, then glanced over her script.

"Here we go…"

Fitz winked at Olivia, "Break a leg, Pope."

"You too, Grant."

"Together?" He blurted, not sure why he said that. He and Kim Mitchell had a series of hand motions and key words they'd use before each broadcast to pump themselves up and make sure they were on the same page.

Thankfully, Olivia quickly smiled and repeated. "Together."

"In 5, 4, 3…"

"Hello, DC, and you're watching _Morning Live_. I'm Fitz Grant."

"And I'm Olivia Pope."

* * *

The episode had Fitz and Olivia bouncing around to different topics: trying out new recipes from a local Cajun restaurant, learning aout new exhibits at the Natioanal Zoo, and a segment on affordable buys. There were a few awkward pauses, but overall, the broadcast went well.

With the new theme song playing softly in the background, Fitz waved while standing at the counter with the chef. "Thank you for joining us! See you tomorrow."

Olivia took a bite of the extra spicy jambalaya, wiggled, also waving goodbye.

"And that's a wrap. Good job, everyone," Cyrus exclaimed. The whole room applauded.

Olivia shuffled off the kitchen set, untying her apron. "Thank Jesus... Great job."

"Thanks."

Their brains were connected and they high fived.

Annalise emerged from the background, giving them smiles. "Good work, you two. It's just what I imagined. We're going to meet in the conference room at 7. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Fitz stood next to Olivia, who had a big grin on her face.

"All thanks to you," he nudged her arm with his elbow.

"It takes two... Shit, I need to switch my shoes, be right back."

Olivia rushed out of view. Fitz couldn't keep his eyes away, watching her until she couldn't be seen anymore. until he heard his name being called.

 _Smitten..._

* * *

Olivia and Fitz were definitely in a groove, entering each segment with pizazz, humor, and compassion.

Somehow they both were wearing blue on Friday's taping. Fitz was wearing a navy blue suit and a light blue shirt; Olivia wore a cobalt blue top with black wide leg pants. Her hair was softly curled, hitting her bare shoulders.

"Together?"

"Together."

They smiled as the countdown ended.

After the show, Fitz visited Olivia's office.

"This is nice."

Olivia extended her arm, like she was a hostess. "Thanks. Finally began to make it my own."

Along wth South Carolinian trinkets, there were lots of photos. One particular frame caught Fitz's eye. A beautiful shot of Olivia at her college graduation with her parents.

"Those are my cousins," she stated. "We're hot messes."

"Who's that?"

Olivia paused. Looking away for a few seconds, then returning to look at Fitz, she replied, "Oh…that's an old friend of mine."

Fitz immediately scanned the photo in his memory. They looked happy, but after seeing her wince, made him remember their first talk together. She was sad. Maybe he was involved with her sadness.

Connor Walsh, one of the segment producers, tapped on the door. The olive-skinned brunette informed there would be a celebratory happy hour at 4:30.

Olivia asked, "You going?"

"Maybe. You?"

"Sure, why not? I didn't make any plans."

Fitz changed his mind. "Okay, I'll go. Can't let my co-host attend solo."

She smirked. "Whatever you say. I can hold my own. But it would be nice to see you there."

The little jabs that seemed like teasing were more than that. They were flirting, casting lines to see who would catch the bait first.

* * *

Connor, Michaela, Jake, Marcus, Olivia, Fitz, and three more staff members, were hanging out in the middle of the bar. Everyone was in their casual wear. Olivia had a fancy black and gold top, while Fitz wore a lightweight white dress shirt and jeans.

"How about we all give one interesting fact about ourselves?"

Fitz ended up sharing, "I play the guitar."

"Nice!"

Olivia hesitated but then offered something, "Every winter, I participated in debutante balls."

"Really," Jake Ballard asked, "With the fancy dresses and gloves?"

"Mmhmm," Olivia replied. "My mama was all about it, and I looked the part, so there I was. I think it helped me feel comfortable on TV."

"You're like Southern royalty."

Fitz watched Olivia give a brutal side eye, highly unamused.

"No, not really."

Connor lifted his tall beer glass, "Let's make a toast to us. To _Morning Live_!"

Everyone raised their glasses of shots, wine, or beer. It was becoming a good evening to get to know everyone better.

The conversation became more loose and candid.

"Is it hard to date people in DC?"

Marcus laughed, "Depends on what you're looking for. Politicians, forget about it. Best bet — brunches, club nights, maybe a gala or award ceremony."

Kyla, one of the writers, interjected, "Can't forget happy hours!"

Michaela decided to add to the conversation, "Raise your hand if you're single!"

Everyone except for Connor was part of the demographic. Fitz and Olivia glanced at each other, then off to somewhere else. Trying to stay cool, he smiled at Michaela, who later beamed. That probably wasn't the best move, but he wanted to make it less obvious of whom he was interested in.

A few drinks and appetizers later, the group began to dissipate. Michaela said she had to meet friends downtown, Connor was going home, and the others were slowly making their way outside.

"Alright," Marcus interjected, "I'll see you guys on Monday."

Fitz hugged him; "Take it easy."

Then, it was just him and Olivia. Hoping she'd stick around for a few minutes longer, he asked, "Have you found a place?"

"I'm looking at an apartment off of Connecticut."

"That's great."

"How about you?"

"I think I'm down to four spots. Three apartments and a townhouse in Bethesda. I'm tired of being in the hotel. It's been a month and I would like to sleep in a bed that's actually mine!"

Olivia giggled, "That's the truth! Say, are you still hungry? I'm still hungry."

"Oh?"

"Yup," she replied, scrunching her nose. "All that drinking got me in the mood for pizza."

Fitz shrugged his shoulders, "I could always try something new. Did you drive here?"

"I took an Uber."

Maybe he'd be able to take her back, so their night wouldn't have to end so soon.

They found a pizza shop a few blocks away. Megaslices, two dollars a piece. Fitz handed Olivia her slice, while he paid for their food and two sodas.

"This is so delicious." Olivia closed her eyes, enjoying the savory piece of baked dough, cheese, and sauce.

Fitz gulped; he imagined her closed eyes for the wrong reason.

"Shit."

"What?"

Feeling his cheeks heat, he answered in a hurry, "Nothing."

"I'm glad we didn't tank."

Fitz sipped on his drink, then shook his head comically. "We couldn't, not when the best EP in Washington hired the darling of the South and the California pretty boy."

Olivia laughed, touching his arm. But when their eyes met, she brought her hand back.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. We're friends now. Right?"

"Yeah."

Fitz pointed at her, "Why did you look at me when Michaela asked who was single?"

"I don't know. I guess I was curious. But hey, you looked right back!"

"I did."

Boldness took over. "What's your stance on dating co-workers?"

Olivia answered mid-chew, "I don't."

Fitz's heart plummeted. "Oh."

"I've gone on a couple dates back home... I don't know. Anything is possible," she tried to soften the blow. "But it never worked out. Plus, I just got out of a long-term relationship. I don't know what to think."

"That makes complete sense, Olivia. Just wondering."

"How about you?"

"I think if ground rules are set, it can work."

Fifteen minutes passed, along with the awkwardness. Fitz asked, "Ready to go? I'll drive you."

"That's fine."

When they parked at the hotel, Olivia thanked him for driving. "Sorry to be such a Southern Belle, but would you walk me in?"

"Absolutely."

The two walked silently into the lobby, passed the front desk, to the elevator.

Olivia reached for her key, pressing the card on the screen, alllowing the door to open. Fitz followed her in.

During the ascent, she softly commented, "Tonight was fun, a whole lot of stress off our backs."

"Yeah," he replied, with a faint smile.

They stood side by side. The elevator was moving a little too slow for Fitz's liking.

"You're beautiful."

Olivia looked up to meet his face. "Fitz…"

"I mean it. I'm sorry if I'm fucking things up. But I had to let you know."

Fitz's eyesbrows knitted, hoping she wouldn't flat out reject him.

Olivia lowered her gaze. He noticed her eyelashes fluttering against her sweet skin.

"Thank you. I guess it's honesty hour. I find you to be very sexy yourself."

They both let out nervous laughs. The bell rang, alerting them of their desired floor.

Olivia led the way to her room. But she stopped, not quite at the door. She turned to Fitz, "I guess I'll see you on Monday, partner?"

"I better," he answered.

The joint yearning made the hallway smaller. Fitz could sense something so heavy between them. Was it the faded buzz from the evening? All the attention they were giving and receiving all week. He knew they had been flirting and doing more on and off set.

Very apphrensive, Fitz took a half step closer to Olivia; he watched her eyeing his mouth. He licked his lips.

"Fuck."

Olivia was breathing hard; her chest rising up and down. She dropped her purse, a complete no-no, and lunged to him.

More than ready to receive her, Fitz used one hand to cup her face, while the other, wrapping around her waist.

They were hungry; all the unsettled glances and vague comments came to a head. Their lips crushing and pulling, sucking. Fitz opened his mouth slightly, and sure enough Olivia's tongue pushed forward. He moaned in satisfaction, as they continued to explore.

He also noticed their hips were grinding against each other, in a supposedly empty hallway.

Olivia's hands squeezed the space between in Fitz's shoulders, before she stepped back.

"What's wrong?"

Fumbling for her purse, collecting her thoughts, she apologized. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, this wasn't right."

"I don't get it."

"Thank you for walking me to my room. Good night, Fitz. I'll see you on Monday."

The total letdown made Fitz rush to make amends. "Olivia, if we crossed a line, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to make you uncomfortable."

"I know. I made the first move. I blame myself."

"Good night."

Before she crossed the threshold, Olivia rose to kiss him again. This time, it was fulfilling, comforting, and warm. Her fingers combing through his thick curls.

Fitz was about to take her into his arms, when she once again, pulled away. Touching her lips, pivoting away, she closed the door.

 _What a strange way to end the evening_ , he thought.

The first week of _Morning Live_ ended in fireworks.


	6. Chapter 6

The force in which she tossed her purse, honestly shocked Olivia. It landed on the borrowed mattress, followed by throwing herself onto it. Using her hand to cover her eyes, Olivia felt embarrassed, frustrated, and never been more attracted to Fitz.

A whole month in her new city, and instead of concentrating on her plan to become the new First Lady of Washington media, she was already distracted, pining for the beautiful man who was sat eighteen inches away from her, more or less, every weekday morning. For the foreseeable future.

The temptation grew while watching his every action, hearing what he said. Looking at his handsome face, keeping track of his body language. Figuring out what he'd do next.

Everything about him was sexy.

But damn, she made the first move.

Technically, he did, but she kissed him first.

Olivia Pope was a modern day Southern woman; she knew her worth. There was no fear residing in her. She always made a demand for what and who she wanted. If that meant, making her intentions clear with a man, so be it.

Fuck gentility.

Although she had every right to do so, this was the last thing she wanted to do - fall for anyone who worked with her. Literally telling Fitz hours prior that she didn't date co-workers, in order to protect herself, from the quintessential performance / show crush.

Technically, a kiss didn't equate to a relationship. But two kisses though within a minute of each other? Did that mean she was thirsty? Her buzz had dissipated by the time she and Fitz made it up to her room, so the excuse of alcohol wouldn't count. But there was a haze that covered her eyes and mind, that caught her off guard.

The abrupt switch in her life made her crazy for attention and affection.

Fitz Grant had eyes for her.

She knew that.

She wanted him. Desperately.

But work had to come first.

For now.

* * *

When Olivia arrived on Monday, a bouquet of roses were on the side table in the office. Her cheeks rose, a tad nervous to admit how the visual pleased her, working double time to hide her glee. No one was around since she got into the building Picking up the card, she read:

 _Congratulations, L, on your new show!_

 _You continue to amaze me._

 _Much success._

 _Love,_

 _E_

Her smile disappeared immediately, turning into a scowl. The nerve of Edison to do this. They hadn't talked since the day she left Charleston. He was a coward for not even trying to amend things or understand where she was coming from or what she wanted to do before she traveled North. Not even a text or phone call. It made sense for her to not reach out. She was heartbroken, but still on a mission to be the best she could be, proving her worth to everyone who doubted her.

If the flowers came from her father or another friend, it would have been a thoughtful gesture. But knowing they came from Edison, made her feel gross, with a sinking feeling in her gut. A quick way to fall back into her good graces. He was known to be that kind of guy, using all his tricks.

As a fast tear fell down her cheek, she heard someone fawn over the roses.

"Those look beautiful! Who are these from?"

Olivia wiped her cheek, turning herself around to find Laurel Castillo, one of the premiere anchors on the East Coast, standing against the doorframe. Instead of starting her first morning interaction with a smartass comment, she grinned.

"Good morning."

The dark brunette crossed to Olivia, cupping one of the roses in her hand to take a sniff of its fragrance. "Mystery admirer?"

"Someone I would like to forget." Olivia plainly spoke, throwing the crumpled note into the trashcan.

"Damn," Laurel emphasized, "Whoever sent you these must have really fucked up."

"Trust me, you don't want to know. So what's up?"

Laurel flipped her hair back, smiling, "Just got in and passed by your office. Wanted to say hi since we haven't really talked since we all got here. How are you liking everything?"

"It's pretty good. A little different from my former station."

"Charleston, right?"

"Yes. How about you?"

Laurel kept perusing the flowers, "I needed a change in environment. Want folks to see more than a Latinx news anchor. I'm good at what I do, without feeling like a token."

Olivia nodded, "That's true."

"Do you miss it? Being home?"

Leaning on on her desk, crossing her ankles, Olivia replied. "Absolutely."

She couldn't let the reminder of home get into her head, as she prepared for the show. A new week of episodes, a full lineup.

"Well, I need to get ready for work."

Laurel took the hint, casually walking to the door, "Of course. Have a great show."

Twenty minutes later, Olivia was in a light blue dress and her nude pumps, hair in a softly gathered bun. All she needed was a light layer of makeup and she'd be ready for the camera. Power walking to the makeup room, she spotted Fitz, talking to a few co-workers. Obviously, she looked away, thinking he wouldn't notice her. But, he did. Standing tall, with a warm smile, Fitz was on his way to her. Her skin pebbled all over, seeing him for the first time in three days. She didn't expect to feel like this.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," she replied.

Fitz, dressed in a grey suit, white dress shirt, with his lighter brown wingtips, smoothly asked, "How's it going?"

Olivia played it cool, drumming her fingers on her folder. "Not too shabby. Other than my ex having roses delivered to my office."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "A waste of time. I thought they were from someone else, but my hopes got crushed immediately!"

Fitz's apology was genuine. "I'm sorry, Olivia. I wish you received roses under better circumstances.."

"You get the notes from Annalise?"

It was easy to deflect, and move to something more productive, then possibly vent about her abysmal relationship, to her co-host.

"I did. What did you think?"

"It can work."

Fitz gave a nod as they walked into the makeup room.

"Busy weekend?"

Olivia looked into the mirror, staying still, so the artist could do her work. "Not really. Still apartment hunting. You?"

"I signed my lease. Less than ten minutes from the studio, so it will be a decent commute."

Annalise peeked inside.

"Good morning, my favorites. Ratings are looking good, you two. Keep it up."

What they had was working. They were veterans in the business, able to turn on the cheesy, the professional, the fun, and the spark. They might as well be actors. When they went live, their eyes shone, connecting whenever they had the chance. She laughed whenever he made a joke. He agreed. Finishing each other's sentences. Sometimes her hand would playfully touch his muscular arm. Or he'd find any chance to wink or compliment her. Just so they could connect.

During a commercial break, Cyrus shouted, "You're in sync! Don't fucking lose it. The tweets are coming in strong."

The hour was spent talking about a school bus drama, fun hashtags, decor and drinks for fall. As soon as the "on-air" light dimmed, Olivia left the set, without high fiving Fitz.

It was killing her to see him without expressing how she really felt. The topic hadn't been discussed, but she couldn't say anything, not there yet.

* * *

"What do you think about Fitz Grant?"

Olivia joined some of the ladies at an early lunch on a Wednesday. Laurel thought it was a great idea to connect, outside of the studio.

"He's nice."

Michaela and Amanda were still Fitz-struck, gasped, looking at each other, and giggled.

"He's incredibly smart, funny, and wow, he oozes sex appeal," Michaela admitted.

Amanda cupped her face with her hands, "Gosh, if I could have a night with him."

Olivia took a long sip, while Laurel said, "Wow, I don't think you should have said that."

"Why? It's not like it's going to happen. He doesn't look at me, the way he stares at other people at this table."

Michaela turned to Olivia. "By the way. You two are the best co-hosts ever."

"Stop."

"I mean it," she affirmed, "You have such great chemistry. It's amazing to watch. Doesn't hurt that you two are gorgeous."

"You know, his tongue tastes like love, desire, and whiskey."

Olivia latched to her straw, draining her glass, before realizing Laurel, Michaela, and Amanda were looking at her, bewildered, skeptical, and flat out confused.

"What," she said, looking just as surprised. "He drinks scotch."

"Wait," Laurel started, leaning forward, "How do you know that?"

"Do you see how close they sit next to each other," Amanda countered, "Every day for four weeks now. She must know what he does."

"He drinks scotch in the morning? Is that why he looks extra good?"

Olivia had to catch herself, while thinking about how tasty his kiss was, before fucking up with her secret. "Remember we all went out for happy hour? That's what he was drinking. Then we went out for pizza, he helped me get into the cab, he smelled like scotch."

Her story didn't sound convincing. While Laurel kept her eye on Olivia, Michaela and Amanda were watching her with intrigue. Feeling embarrassed, Olivia shook her head, and chuckled. "Forget everything I said. But thank you for your kind words."

* * *

Their chemistry was a little _off._ Olivia was keeping her distance. During 8am meetings, she sat on the opposite side of the table, keeping everything cordial. She was hoping no one would truly notice. But of course, he did, and he didn't like it.

After their Friday show, with all the cordial high fives and laughs, they walked to their offices together, side by side. When the coast was clear, Fitz whispered, "Hey. Can we talk about what happened last week?"

"I'd rather not."

"Olivia."

She stopped walking, and on purpose, faced him, knowing that if she truly looked him in the eye, it'd be over. Not in a bad way, but her resolve to resist would be broken.

Fitz asked, "What's going on? I need to know because it's driving me crazy not being able to be myself with you. Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

"It's about last week, isn't it?"

Olivia silenced her phone, that was ringing. Naturally, she would excuse herself, but she decided to forgo that. "Yes," she softly replied.

"Please let me know if I'm going too far. I need to know."

"You haven't," she replied, leaning against the wall.

Fitz took one step, facing her. "Look," he sighed. "I am attracted to you. I want to get to know you better."

She admitted, "Same."

The smile on his face brightened her world. It was crooked, sincere, and precious.

"Well," he glanced to the floor. "Good to know."

"Can we talk about this somewhere else?"

Olivia didn't mind talking, but she didn't want anyone to listen to their private conversation.

Fitz invited her to his office. Once they were settled, he began, "I don't want you to feel like we can't be friends, or can't talk to each other. This fucking weirdness, it's going to affect how we work. Annalise would have our heads if we slipped up."

"I know."

Olivia briefly closed her eyes, thinking about the week. It had been awkward, dodging him, it felt miserable.

"I will admit, last week was a lot of fun."

"Yes, it was."

"I haven't stopped thinking about you," she sat down in the chair, opposite him.

He laughed, "Same here."

They smiled at each other, feeling so light, since they were finally being honest.

"I can't promise..."

Olivia shrugged, "Let's not define this...not yet."

"Do you have to go?"

"I have nothing on my schedule."

With his hands in his pockets, Fitz waited on her. Being thoughtful, understanding. That's what she was looking for. But again, work. The fine lines of work and personal dynamics. It was doable, but they still had to be careful.

"Olivia..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to lose it if I don't kiss you."

Her lips parted with desire. "Please."

Fitz leaned down to find her lips. In a matter of seconds, what was so neat and proper, turned into something hasty. Their kisses grew deeper. Her hands going through his hair, while he pulled her to standing, grabbing her ass, wanting to be as close to her as possible.

"I can't stop."

"God, you feel amazing."

"I want…"

Olivia nearly choked, "What? Here?"

Fitz replied, stroking his thumbs on her jaw. "I don't care. The blinds are closed. Just let me. Let's switch places."

Trusting him, Olivia sat on the desk, inching up her dress, pulling down her thong, exposing her long legs.

"Wow, are you sure?"

She agreed.

He massaged her leg, while she finally let him see her. _All of her._

"Oh my god, so beautiful," he kissed her inner thigh.

As soon as his tongue touched her clit, Olivia could feel herself relax and tense at the same time. Everything that had bottled up, simply melted away. She needed this.

"Fitz..."

She kept her hand in his hair, just basking in his worship of her. He was fantastic, lapping her essence, touching her, getting her _there_.

It didn't take long for her to come. Olivia tilted her head back, trying to swallow her own hearty moans as she shuddered against his mouth. When he finished, she wanted more.

"How was that?"

Olivia exhaled, "Wonderful. Now, sit in the chair."

Fitz did as he was told. She turned on her music app, hitting the start of a playlist.

"I need you to stay quiet."

He had a stunned look on his face, while he unbuckled his belt. "Okay..."

Kneeling in between his legs, she began to touch, slowly lick, and suck on him. But as she was starting, her phone rang.

"It's Annalise."

"Shit. Hello?"

"Hi Olivia, did you leave?"

"Not yet. Why?"

"Because we—"

"My mother is calling. I have to get this. I'll call you right back," she rushed, before returning to Fitz's swollen dick. It was warm, hot pink, and just everything she wanted. She wasn't about to curtail her hands-on investigation of what she had been thinking about for weeks.

Fitz chuckled, "Wow..."

"Sue me," she said, eyeing him. "I couldn't leave you hanging."

His grunts were getting louder as she gave more attention, finding out what made him swell. His precum dripping onto her hand.

Before she took him into her mouth again, Olivia tapped his knee. "Don't yell."

Fitz's eyes closed. His hands gripped the arms of his chair, as he finally released himself into her mouth.

When she was done, she ended with a soft "pop".

"Fuck."

Olivia squeezed his knee, very gratified by what happened. "I gotta go. Call AK and profusely apologize for the delay. Make sure you leave ten minutes _after_ me. Bye."

Giving him a quick kiss, she left. What a difference from the week prior. The start of something worth exploring...

* * *

"I think if we can have a meeting with the realtor, everything will work out."

The next day, Olivia was running errands, working with her manager, who was still in Charleston. They had been organizing a strategy for how things could be finalized while she was still in Washington. It was still be a while until she'd be able to get home.

She was at the new apartment, getting her key.

"Jay, I gotta go. Finally about to step into my place. No more fucking hotels. Okay, bye! Alrighty, seventh floor."

Olivia took the elevator, rolling suitcase in tow, still wearing her oversized sunglasses. It was a lazy day, in her sweats, no one would notice her, even though her face was now being plastered on billboards and magazines. As she found her door — 752 - and began to turn the key, she heard the door open.

"Good afternoon."

She pivoted so quickly; that voice...

It was Fitz.

"You have got to be kidding me," she said. Of all the places in the area, they would be in the same complex.

"Well, hello to you too."

Olivia removed her glasses; "When the fuck did this happened?"

"Last week. I guess the place caught your eye, huh?"

She stated, "It has some character I like. I felt in my gut."

"Hmm, that's interesting," Fitz countered, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Why didn't I ask you…"

He immediately answered, "You were in a rush to leave set every day and apparently too busy to talk to me, so I couldn't share the good news." The smirk on his face was glorious, and it made Olivia feel a bit silly.

"Oh, okay."

"Well, welcome to the neighborhood."

"I can't believe this. Co-workers _and_ neighbors."

Fitz lifted his arm to cup his neck, sheepishly. His bicep was delicious to look at. "Surprise?"

"Very funny."

Olivia tried to open the door, but was not having much luck.

"Why..."

Fitz interjected, "I am four days ahead of you, and I can tell you, the keys seem sticky. I was about to go out, but I don't want to leave you stranded. So if you'd like, I can invite you in for a little bit."

"For what?"

"I don't know. To be a good host. Make you dinner. Make you come."

Olivia's jaw dropped, after hearing the casual wordplay from Fitz. The confidence. It was a major turn on, but she couldn't let him get away with it.

"We need to be strictly professional."

"Of course," he said, lifting his hands.

Before he could say anything else, she raised her index finger, pointing at him like he was a disobedient child, and sharply demanded, "I mean it."

"Absolutely."

"Don't give me that smile."

In a soft tone, crossing his arms, Fitz replied, "What else is on the 'do not' list, Miss Olivia Pope? Ignore you every time the camera is not on us? Please inform me so I won't embarrass you."

"You're too much. But I like that."

"I'm just enough."

Olivia couldn't resist sucking her teeth as she marched into Fitz's apartment, but quickly changing her tune as she gave him a "hello" kiss. His laugh filled the space, closing the door.

* * *

 _Hope you liked. xo_


	7. Chapter 7

Only a few days into his lease, Fitz's apartment had already become a place with a meaning — a resting spot for him to belong. He was too thrilled to actually _live_ in a space and call his own, not just feel like a guest in a boring room with classic hotel artwork and bland colors, twenty-four-seven. When the listing appeared online, he found all of the pros. Proximity to work, Metro access, and a vibrant social scene, he was sold. This could work out after all.

Pieces of home were scattered around the spacious living room that flowed into the kitchen. A plant from his mother, cookware he had kept since his college days. Artwork on specific walls. Thanks to Abby's creative eye and handiwork, all of the furniture was moved in and established while he was out and about. So, he had no problem with Olivia Pope standing and sitting in his apartment. And he did not mind her observing — something she knew how to do and do it well — learning about him.

"Tell me about yourself."

Looking back at his beautiful guest while preparing a few drinks, he replied, "Well, my name is Fitz Grant. I'm forty years old, from California. I love working on TV. I play the guitar sometimes, not a pro, but also past the novice stage. My biggest fan is my Mom. Hate bananas. With a passion. So if you order me a smoothie and if any type of that fruit is in it, I'm gonna decline. I still have no clue how the Metro works. I'm not the best cook, but I can roast chicken with veggies and they kick ass."

Olivia shook her head, covering her mouth, slightly amused by the facts her new neighbor gave, while she relaxed on his couch. As she listened, her eyes semi-wandered, jealous of the well-furnished apartment. It reminded her of all she had to do to get her place together.

"That's...nice."

Knowing she wasn't impressed, Fitz countered, "Oh? One up me then, Olivia."

"No."

"C'mon, what should I know about you? The _real_ Olivia Pope?"

He watched her sigh with such drama, flailing her hand.

"Fine… Popcorn is what I eat on a regular basis, with a healthy serving of wine. I have sophisticated fashion tastes. I'd rather focus on my work, than my life outside of it. I can't eat seafood. When I need to decompress, I run, also swim."

"Anything else? A little bit on the personal side, that goes beyond a nice bio on the station's website?"

Olivia squinted, receiving a glass of red wine. "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

She couldn't resist his flirtateous ways. Even when he willingly teased her, or tried to agitate, Olivia found Fitz to be very attractive. An easy-going man with an affable personality. She could see herself with someone like him. He wouldn't get jealous of her accomplishments, and be the best person he could be.

As if she was intentionally sabotaging, she answered, "I am an only child."

Fitz didn't want the visit to go south, so dropping the subject was a given. It did appear to be quite odd that Olivia wouldn't divulge.

"Cool."

"Were you planning to go somewhere?"

"I was," he started, "But then I heard you mumbling. Your voice is very distinct to me. We've been working for almost a month now. I recognize it. Had to look outside to make sure it was true."

Olivia huffed, "Coming to my rescue?"

"Barely," Fitz playfully scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. "But I'm glad I am seeing you today."

Meeting his sweet face, she answered softly. "Me too."

Something always clicked when their eyes met. It either led to an awkward silence, or a powerful action.

Five minutes later, Olivia was on Fitz's lap, their chests pressed together, exploring the covered planes of their bodies. When they kissed, the connection they had erased any previous actions. Their kisses were engulfing. Hungry. Soul-sucking. She loved kissing him and he always wanted to kiss her. They had to be honest; their lackluster conversation was a filler for what they really wanted to do.

He kept sucking on her neck, extremely careful not to mark her skin, but thoroughly satisfied with the soft moans she made as his mouth touched her beautiful veins. Then, he switched his attention to her bottom lip, already naturally plump, but eager to make it swell while wrapping his fingers around her jaw.

Her hands roamed through his full head of hair, while her hips had a mind of their own, grinding on him purposely, wanting him to moan and crave her. She tugged at his shirt, lifting the bottom, to feel his abs, or any part of his skin. Olivia whimpered, going through so many emotions. Could she control herself? She wanted to fuck him, have him inside of her. Always positive he was on the same wavelength.

"Beautiful," he groaned raspily, his hips bucking against her. "Fuck, you're killing me."

Olivia gripped his arm as she straddled him, pushing herself closer to him, loving the friction. "Do you like having sex on your couch?"

"This is new," Fitz chuckled before firmly palming her breast through her shirt, while his other hand focused on getting her wet, circling his fingerpads on her clit, relishing in the truth; the arousal he was feeling was his responsibility. "I'm willing for you to christen it. I'll do whatever you want."

Her eyes closed as she let herself experience this wave, but her eyes shot open. Thinking she was subtle, Olivia pulled away from Fitz's hungry mouth.

"Oh no," he mumbled, glancing at her, before returning to her collarbone. "You won't do this again. Don't stop, baby."

Olivia let out a giggle, while brushing her hand on his denim-covered crotch, which was so hard. She gasped because she realized how wet she was; touching him was her favorite activity these days. Knowing how he responded to her, was more of a turn on.

Willing herself to stay in the moment, she tried to proceed, but couldn't.

"Liv..."

Scrambling off of Fitz, hearing his exasperated groans, Olivia moved away, giving herself a minute. She wasn't a prude; she loved having sex. But something didn't feel right. The memories of lectures from her parents moving to the front of her mind, she knew it was a sign. Feeling hot to the touch, she allowed her heart rate to settle and breathing to even out. It was probably best to separate.

Staring at her, confused, with fiery red ears, Fitz waited. It wouldn't be bad to ignore responsibilites and have a good time with him? But at the same time, she wasn't the kind of woman who thoroughly enjoyed one night stands, or hooking up without rules.

"What's wrong, Liv?"

"I should go."

His eyes read _Don't_ , but he agreed. "Okay."

A somewhat remorseful Olivia scooted in again, to kiss him, believing it could soothe away her flakiness. After she let go of his lips, she patted his chest and replied. "Thank you for inviting me. I'll…see you around."

"For another frustrating round of passion? I'm fucking confused. Can you tell me what's going on?"

She knew he wasn't happy. Neither was she, feeling her stomach coil with guilty butterflies. But somehow the universe kept interrupting them before they took it too far, before they could regret anything.

"I want this — very much. But..."

"But what?"

Olivia bit her lip, wanting to say the right words.

"I need to trust my gut."

"Is that so," Fitz asked, crossing his arms. "Am I some form of temptation? Is it your beliefs? You should have told me."

"No. It's not that. It sounds ridiculous, but it's something I do. I don't always think things through when I'm in the moment. The timing doesn't seem right."

"But it could be. Wait," he stopped himself. Olivia saw the fear in his eyes. Cautiously, he inquired, "Am I pressuring you?"

"No, you're not. Let's talk about it first. Sober. We have our jobs to think about. We need a plan. Does that make sense?"

"That's a good idea." Fitz squeezed her hand, wanting to kiss her again, but he didn't want to force anything, if she was already creating a new boundary.

"You can kiss me, Grant."

He didn't hestitate.

After their lips parted, he tapped his finger on her nose. "I'm fine with taking it slow, but look. If you do this again, we are going to have a problem. Because you're going to miss out on what I give."

Her eyes widened as the smooth talker proceeded to share some of his favorite things to do to and do with a woman. He smiled while she slowly rose from the couch, knowing his effectiveness.

Olivia took her purse, then reached for the doorknob. Still smitten for him, she turned back. Fitz winked at her, giving a nod.

She faintly smiled at her co-host, friend, and neighbor, before heading out, again. She needed to stop this trend, of always leaving while their fun was starting out.

* * *

Annalise and Cyrus organized the show's first promotional event in the Wharf — a newer development in the District — a meet and greet at a fall festival. The news station had a publicity booth with a mini stage to the side. A few of the evening anchors came as well to take turns and interact with the crowd, giving them a taste of who they were in person. Annalise and her PR team was not playing this year. They asked Michaela to host; it would give her more play as a featured segment host.

With her bright smile and in her signature yellow dress, the beauty greeted the people. "Good morning! How are you doing today? We have a great segment coming up. Please give it up for the hosts of your favorite AM show, _Morning Live_ , Olivia Pope and Fitz Grant!"

Olivia chose to wear a sweater, black pants and sparkling booties, to give a more personal touch, not too dolled up. She glanced at Fitz — always in his blue suit, but no tie this time around — with a smile. "Ready?"

"You bet."

Fitz walked in front so he could take Olivia's hand, helping her up the steps, then followed her to their seats. They both waved and smiled. Everyone cheered, snapping pictures of the two. The interview was endearing; the crowd laughed numerous times and enjoyed the playful banter between Grant and Pope. A casual discussion about how they were loving Washington life, getting to meet more people, their favorite memories of fall, and other random tidbits.

Olivia mentioned how their signature high five came to be; they looked for a way to show their comraderie without being too much.

An audience member asked, "Do you like working with each other?"

Fitz grinned, ready to take the lead. "Getting to work with Olivia Pope every morning? It's amazing. She always brings something new to the table. The transition to morning has been great, thanks to her."

She jabbed his side. "Wow. I wasn't expecting such great words from you. To answer your question, he's alright."

There was a mix of laughter and gasps. Olivia winked, tapping her microphone, to get their attention. "In all honesty, Fitz has been a joy to work with. He's a great partner and I wouldn't be able to do this without him." She reached over to kiss his cheek. A bit of a shock to everyone, but she didn't care. It was a sweet exchange of affection.

Michaela noticed a stage manager circling his finger to wind down the segment, so she graciously paused to thank the hosts for attending.

After wrapping up, Fitz and Olivia posed together for pictures, with his hand nicely settled on the small of her back, something he had never done before. She laughed genuinely whenever he cracked a joke. The two took numerous selfies with fans and bystanders, who were walking along the waterfront. Lots of material for their social media pages.

During a lull, the two were facing the water, enjoying the calm.

Fitz leaned over to whisper in her ear, to remain discreet, but his intent was to catch another whiff of the floral scent that drove him wild. "That was fun. We should do that again."

"Yeah," she smiled, making his heart and dick simultaneously leap.

"Fitz Grant!"

The hairs of his neck stood at attention, swiftly pivoting to the sound. A dark-haired woman cheerfully approached, arms open, swarming in for a hug. "Finally! How are you?"

"I'm doing fine. Yourself?"

The woman kissed him on the cheek, then stilled to observe how close he and Olivia were standing to each other.

"Who is this ray of sunshine? Where are your manners, hun?"

Eyebrows lifted in utter confusion, Fitz opted to quickly switch gears to become a gracious host.

"Olivia, this is Melody."

"Hi, Melody. Nice to meet you. How do you two know each other?"

Before Melody could say anything, Fitz rushed his answer, "Friends back in L.A."

The shrill, fake laugh, filled with gusto surprised Olivia. The woman slapped Fitz's bicep, and that definitely gave a possessive vibe. She was quick to notice all of Melody's actions.

"Ha! More like thick as thieves, former roommates and lovers…"

Olivia tilted her head slightly, with a grin. "Oh?"

Cursing under his breath, Fitz knew everything about Olivia's expression was deadly.

Before he could interrupt, Melody stated, "Yes. We dated for two years. I was by his side at all of his work events. Sometimes he would surprise me at my job, and everyone would fawn over him! His fame got the best of him and he decided to shock all of us and move East. You're such a playboy. Always flirting with all the ladies. It shows on your new program. Isn't that right, Olivia?"

Fitz pursed his lips, attempting to not show his contempt when she playfully slap his bicep. It wasn't that she was lying, because she wasn't, but to mention all of his bad boy behavior in front of his co-host. It must have been obvious to her that competition was present. Sneering, he returned his attention to Olivia, whose demeanor changed drastically. She had taken a full step away from him, hands folded in front, with an objective glance. Much like how she moved when they first met. Aloof, collected, and professional.

"He will do anything to make sure his co-anchors are happy."

Olivia interjected, "You are correct. He is good at what he does. Always the charmer. Well, I don't want to interrupt you two catching up. Fitz, great work. I'll see you on Monday."

"Liv."

Fitz sighed with disappointment, because she was already gone, out of reach. After a cordial wave, she retrieved her things, immediately putting her cellphone to her ear, strutting towards the parking garage. He continued to watch her as she moved away with intention. The toned pair of legs he dreamt about constantly. A punch to his gut.

Melody was still staring at him, satisfied, when he turned around, disgusted.

"Why did you do that," he reprimanded. "There was no reason to elaborate about our past in front of my co-worker."

With a smirk, she replied, "I wanted her to know a few things."

"There is nothing for her to know."

"We've been keeping track of you, Fitz. After you ditched all of us. We see the clips online. You two have a thing. Remember how you were with Kimberly? Everyone knew you were so close, you were inseperable. All those after-work outings. Taking her out to lunch?"

Fitz gritted his teeth, "Stop this."

Melody continued, "There's nothing wrong with playing a part, my dear Fitz. But she needs to know about us."

"Again, nothing to know because we are done."

Fitz snatched off the lavalier — a huge no-no, storming back to the tent. In a rush, he grabbed his backpack, swinging it over his shoulder. He kept his shit together, after catching the attention of Connor, Michaela, and Marcus. He waved goodbye to them, before marching away, with Mellie following behind, with her annoyingly sharp heels hitting the ground.

"Ha! Bullshit, my love. We're most certainly not. There is more to us and we are not finished. You running off because your penis stood at attention when you saw that pretty little thing—"

"Shut the fuck up, Mellie. You know exactly why I left you," he stepped to her, making sure no one else would hear him. "I thought I made that clear when we had lunch the day before I left. Not even bothering to respond to any of your messages or calls. What don't you get?"

Batting her eyelashes, she pressed her hand on his shoulder. "We should catch up."

Fitz took a deep breath; he could not let his anger get the best of him. Only an hour prior, he was having a wonderful time, enjoying the cool weather, working with Olivia. He could not let his former lover make him look bad.

"I can't fucking stand you. Don't even bother."

"Love you too!"

* * *

"Man, you fucked up."

"What?"

Fitz was baffled by the firm accusation Jake Ballard made. They were in the break room, relaxing before another busy taping. Again too early to deal with stupid prodding.

"I heard about what happened," Jake commented, sipping on his coffee.

"What is that?"

"Your ex-girlfriend was in town."

Rolling his eyes, Fitz was on defense, "Okay, and?"

"Pope saw you two. Heard it did not go well. She was pissed when she arrived this morning, mumbling about something."

Laurel Castillo popped out of nowhere, adding to the conversation. "You guys talking about Olivia? Oh, boy. I have never received such a sharp glare in my life. I could barely say 'good morning' before she ranted at me about knowing people and making sure you get past the facade. Someone clearly messed with the wrong one this weekend."

This was what he didn't miss about this line of work — the gossip. Just when he thought he could keep everything under wraps, a bit of juicy information would spread like wildfire.

"How did you find out?"

"I definitely saw her IG. She tagged you," Laurel replied, taking a piece of muffin. "She is never happy when something is up with you."

"What?"

"Are you that dense, Grant? She posted a picture on Instagram. You know that app we use?"

"Fuck off."

Jake shot a quizzical glance at Laurel, before returning to Fitz. "Anywhoo. I just wanted to let you know that something's up. I'm sure it has to do with you, her, and your ex.

Nothing was clicking; Fitz lifted his mug, and left the room. He couldn't let the unfounded story get into his head. Not before his shift.

Twenty minutes later, he walked on set. Olivia was already in her seat, going over her notes.

"Good morning," he greeted warmly, assuming Jake and Laurel were wrong.

Olivia replied with a succinct "Hello." Downright cold, in Fitz's opinion.

But when the "on-air" box turned on, she was on her A-game, bringing her Southern charm, engaging with him like nothing had happened.

The same routine played out for three days straight. Fitz observed how little she made eye contact with him, unless the script required it. It was so forced. He hated it. Whenever he tried to cut in with a simple remark during the break, she ignored him, or began to talk to the makeup artist, or the new guest.

By the end of Wednesday's episode, Fitzgerald Grant III was fed up, ready for an explanation.

"Thank you for joining us, have a great day, and we will see you tomorrow!"

"And cut!"

Fitz whispered, "Hey. We need to talk."

She didn't answer, only collecting her papers, switching back into her Ugg booties.

"Liv."

Olivia promptly removed her mic pack, and walked off set. But Fitz was determined to not let this continue. He powerwalked to her, right at her side, as they left the set.

"You need to stop. I'm tired of this immature bullshit act. Talk to me like an adult. If I pissed you off, you tell me right now."

She couldn't let down her guard. "We are in public. Back up or look away."

"You're not about to tell me what to do."

"Neither should you," she retorted. "Back. Up."

Fitz jumped in front of her, pleading. "I want to apologize about what happened with Mellie on Saturday. Nothing is going on. She was out of line and I do not condone her actions."

Olivia looked at him with hurt eyes. She knew it was killing him to be in this position, but she couldn't just fall back, needing a little bit more time. In private. "Thanks for the clarification. I'll see you tomorrow."

He couldn't force her to stay, but it did not justify her frigid behavior. They weren't obligated to be friendly off-the-clock, but damn, he was concerned. As he turned around to collect his thoughts, he met Cyrus' judgmental state.

"What now?"

His director pointed at him. "Meet me in my office in five."

Fitz arrived in four minutes and fifty-five seconds. "What's up?"

"What did you do?"

"Huh?"

"You and Olivia. What's going on?"

Shrugging, Fitz offered, "She had an off day."

"For three days straight?" Cyrus lifted one eyebrow, ready to give him another lecture.

"She is allowed to have them."

"There's always a shift when you two are off. It's very obvious. We notice shit. Just saying. And what I saw back there was extremely alarming."

"I don't think so."

"You know I asked her if she was okay, and she flipped me off."

Closing his eyes in disbelief, Fitz sighed, "She did that?"

Cyrus complained, sitting down in his plush leather chair. "Why would I lie to you, Grant? You know Annalise is going to have a sit down with you."

Fitz was becoming more irritated, because of a small interaction on the weekend, would now affect his work. This is why Olivia was extremely hesitant back in his apartment. It was making more sense.

"Your jokes are falling flat. The transitions aren't working. It looks forced. We can't have that. The public will know, if they haven't already. Did something happen on Saturday?"

Fitz rolled his eyes; "My ex came to the promo event. She made a bit of a scene, annoyed Olivia a bit."

"How?"

There was no way in hell Fitz was going to reveal about their situation, it was too sensitive and talking about it without Olivia's knowledge would end any hope in a relationship with her. "We just finished our segment and my ex ruined the vibe. She acted unprofessionally, bringing up a topic that was uncalled for. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to Olivia. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Whatever, just fix it," Cyrus answered gruffly.

Fitz didn't know what that meant. It couldn't have been that simple. "What? What do you mean?"

"Is your head in the clouds? Fix it. Fix it now. If you don't, ratings will plummet to hell," Cyrus demanded. "I don't care how you do it. Hell, if you have to tell her she's the most beautiful woman in the world, wine her, dine her… Fuck her, for all I care."

Nearly choking, nowhere familiar with his superior's candor, Fitz exclaimed, "Cy!"

After taking a quick drink out of his mug, Cyrus added, putting the fear of God, Annalise Keating, and himself into Fitz, "I'm going to talk to her as well, but you need to do your part. We need both of you to convince the metropolitan area that you two are on good terms. Make. It. Happen. Or I swear to God, Annalise Keating will fire all of us. Then I will kick your pretty ass. Now get the fuck out of my office."

Pissed off, determined, and completely smitten with Olivia Pope, Fitz Grant was going to get to the bottom of this, and he knew exactly what to do.


	8. Chapter 8

"What in the entire fuck was I thinking?"

Storming back to her office, Olivia was pissed at herself for allowing her emotions and assumptions to get the best of her. It was a complete lack of judgment on her part.

They weren't dating. Hell, haven't even fucked, thanks to her uncertainty and it was probably a good thing she didn't rush that one. Why was she all invested in a man whom she had pretty much denied access over and over again? By the looks of it, his ex-partner was a hot mess and a half and still a part of his life.

She didn't need any of this.

Co-hosts were not required be close buddies. Olivia knew several comrades who couldn't stand their partners so there was no reason for her to be an exception. They were hired to do a job and do it well. Her feelings — or whatever this dynamic was with Fitz — had betrayed her duties for this job. _Morning Live_ was different from her previous assignment as an anchor, when she only had to read a script, and give the people the news. Of course, she was pleasant on screen, and could deliver perfectly. She never tried to outshine anyone but she worked well all of the people she co-hosted with during newscasts. There was no real pressure. Of course, there had to be a chemistry, but nothing like this.

Why was this a struggle? Maybe Edison was right and she wasn't ready for this spotlight, with the meticulous pair of eyes on her constantly. Or, quite honestly, did the combination of learning something new and navigating her exact feelings for Fitz, was the problem and that's why she was so frustrated.

Locking herself in the office, Olivia wanted to make it clear that no one would try to find her or attempt to "talk it out". She had to think out an effective plan, because if the office rumblings were happening because of an unfortunate exchange on the Wharf boardwalk, she couldn't imagine the footprint of gossip if everyone found out what was going on between them outside of the station.

Thirty minutes into her alone time, the phone rang.

"What?"

"Hi. What's going on?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

It was Cyrus on the line and he scoffed loudly. "That is a lie and you know it. No. High. Fives. You haven't high-fived each other since Friday's broadcast. You need to tell me what's going on. It's becoming obvious you are not having a good time right now. And if I can see it, then the viewers will too. Does it have to do with Fitz? Is he making you uncomfortable?"

"No. I received poor feedback over the weekend and it got to me. Made me second guess myself and what our objective is with the show, and that backfired."

Olivia was lying. There was no reason to share with Cyrus her truth for now, it was none of his business.

"Understandable. We all get frustrated and discouraged, but we need to move on from there. I would like you to talk with Fitz. That's why Annalise has those weekly meetups, so you can reset, if you will. Make sure you're on the same page. People are going to talk and that's their fucking problem. They're going to think one day you two are together and other day, you hate each other's guts. But you have to put all of that aside because we hired you to be _on_. For a full hour. Please. I don't care if you hate how he talks, or don't like how he picks at his food, or can't stand how he winks and flirts with other people in the studio. Just…do what you need to make it work. At least until after ratings."

There was truth behind Cyrus' lecture. November ratings were vital to a show's success. If shit wasn't clicking, there would be personnel changes. Olivia couldn't afford to get fired, or get moved to a secondary role. She had to get it together.

With a polite nod, Olivia replied, "Thank you."

"Do you want to take the rest of the week off?"

The question threw Olivia off: two and a half months into her new gig and she was being asked to take a breather? Was she that unreliable? Although they had been awkward, nothing was that terrible. The tweets were positive and Annalise would have ordered them to come into her office.

"You know, that won't be necessary, Cyrus."

"Are you sure? I want to make sure you're well rested and back to what we know you're capable of."

Olivia was starting to get defensive. "Did you give Fitz the same offer?"

"Well, no."

"With all due respect, I do not like where this conversation is heading, Cyrus. I will be fine. Tomorrow morning, I will be ready. All personal matters will be irrelevant. Thank you for your call."

She hung up, seething. If anything was going to happen, she needed the respect of everyone at that station, including her superiors. The double standards regarding a woman were frustrating as all get out.

* * *

Olivia began her quick mission to apologize to the people she crossed paths during the week. The first person she saw? Jake Ballard. The sight of him made her roll her eyes. He wasn't the worst person in the world, but his classic smug looks, awkward responses, and cocky personality, didn't help his cause.

"Hey."

"Hello."

"How are you?"

Knowing he was fishing by his drawn out question, Olivia fixed her annoyed expression and stated, "I'd rather not discuss it with you, but I want to apologize for my less than stellar behavior this week."

Jake nodded with understanding. "Apology accepted. I don't blame you. I bet it's hard working with him."

Suddenly confused, Olivia asked, "I beg your pardon?"

Jake shook his head, coming closer to her, lowering his voice, as if he was ready to reveal a deep secret about Fitz. "He must have done something terribly wrong to ruffle your feathers, because you two have been so good together. That's what happens when you get paired with a handsome S.O.B. The pressure is on! Those California boys. He must be a playa, playa, playa."

She frowned, even more annoyed by all the word vomit. "Jake. Let's not do this. I only wanted to apologize."

As she passed him, Jake added, "Be careful, Pope. There are other men in this town who can show you a good time and they won't try to embarrass you in public."

Olivia stilled in her heels, thinking of all the ways she could tell him to fuck off. Instead, she pivoted back to him. Taking a breath, she gave a half-smile.

"Don't know where you were going with that, but unless we are discussing segment topics, the state of our show, or shooting the breeze about D.C. weather, don't ever talk to me like that again. See you tomorrow."

Olivia used the rest of her time at the station to find the people she crossed and potentially offended by her angry tongue. She found Laurel and Michaela in the break room and spoke her peace.

"His ex looked like bad news. She has to be jealous of you two," Michaela offered, wanting to stay on Olivia's good side. "If she really knew how awesome and professional you were, she wouldn't step to you. I hope he reminds her that you're not the one!"

Laurel had a different take on the matter. "That's the beast of this business. Always under the eye of someone and people will always want to take you down. I'm sure you two will figure out a balance, even if you date other people. Or if you decide to..."

"Laurel," Michaela playfully reprimanded.

Olivia tilted her head, clasping her hands together, remaining calm. It felt like everyone was in the mood to give shitty advice.

The dark brunette shrugged, tapping her toe on the linoleum. "It's bound to happen. Mark my words. Something will. I see how you look at each other. He _adores_ you, has been smitten since screen tests. And if you're ready to tear us apart because of something his ex told you, while you were working... that's a sign, Olivia. He'll ask you out by Christmas."

Inwardly, Olivia was going haywire. How did she not notice this? She assumed Fitz's attraction to her was after Annalise hired them. Not the first day. She didn't even realize when she began her crush on him.

"Well," she interjected, with a cordial grin, "I doubt that will go over well, given our positions. But thank you for your understanding. See you in the morning."

Slowly crossing the hall, Olivia decided to give her most important apology last. Third door on the left. But as she approached, the door swung open.

"Oh, shit!"

"Oh my God, I'm sorry."

The two were clearly shocked to see each other in that moment.

Fitz reached for her arm, "I didn't know you were coming."

Clutching her necklace out of routine, Olivia rambled, "Sorry. I thought we could talk, but you must be busy so I'll catch you tomorrow."

Fitz's eyebrows lifted as he smiled, watching how flustered she was, stumbling at her words. "No, please, come in."

As she walked into his office, Olivia allowed herself to breathe. The confidence she always knew she possessed, faltered a bit when she was in his presence. Not because of fear; she was not scared of him. But the feeling of being vulnerable, that was something she never permitted to have around others.

"So…"

Fitz kept his distance, hands in his pockets.

Closing her eyes for a few seconds, Olivia recited the quick statement she thought of earlier. "I was out of line. I shouldn't have taken what occured on Saturday to heart. I let it override my thinking and got us in a tad of hot water with management. It will not happen again. Please accept my apology."

Everything was so official with her. As she finished, Fitz crossed his arms, but he had this goofy look on his face.

"What?"

"Absolutely, Miss Serious."

Olivia's eyesbrows lifted, feigning offense. "What?"

"I forgive you and I do appreciate this. I know you were upset. Had every reason. But, you're just talking to me. You can be honest with me. You do not have to be extra professional with me. Hell, you're wearing a green dress with Uggs on."

"Thank you and shut up." Olivia had to smile, letting herself relax.

Fitz added, "If you are ever pissed at me, I need you to tell me as soon as you can. Because I can't stand at it when you don't look at me. I'm so used to seeing you. Your beautiful eyes. I know when you're off and I'm sure you know when I'm not having good days either."

"That is true..."

She paused, intently keeping her eyes on him. He knew what was coming next.

"Go ahead, Liv."

"What Mellie said... Is it true?"

When he didn't respond immediately, it made Olivia nervous. In her mind, she thought Fitz would adamantly renounce that woman and everything would be settled.

"Oh."

"No," he firmly replied. "I broke up with her before I came here. There's so much to explain, but God, no. That was the first time we've talked since I left."

Olivia put her hands to her side, leaning against his desk. Summoning her courage, she spoke, "I don't care about what you did in Los Angeles, or what you're up to here. But I need you to be honest with me. Are you a playboy? For real? Because I don't mess with playboys, fuckboys, or anything labeled with the phrase 'boy' in it. I'm not about to get my heart played with if that's the case."

"Liv."

Watching him move towards her, she lifted her hand. "We don't have to be exclusive. I shouldn't expect that from you and vice versa. Just…give me a heads up."

"Stop right now," Fitz sweetly requested, putting his hands on her hips. "I only have eyes for you."

Those blue eyes, full of admiration for her. Olivia was rendered speechless. That whole foolish lecture for nothing.

A loud series of knocks interrupted them, and Marcus poked his head in. Thankfully, they both had quick reflexes and separated.

"Fitz! Sorry, Olivia. We have a request for you to sub our noon broadcast, are you available?"

"Sure," he nodded. "Give me a few minutes."

When the door closed, Fitz strutted over to Olivia, nudging her legs apart, so he could get closer. "Hey. I like you and I am not seeing anyone. I hope this is the same for you. If you will let me, can we talk later?"

Olivia could believe him; she knew he was good for it. Taking his hand in hers, she agreed.

"Yes. I would like that. We should talk. I'm sorry for assuming."

"I think," he started, rubbing her arm. "We should start over. Hi, I'm Fitz Grant, and I'm your co-host."

"Hi. Olivia Pope. Nice to meet you. I like you too."

Fitz softly chuckled, before leaning down to kiss her. Olivia's breath hitched, as she melted, feeling his soft lips on hers. Gripping her hand on the desk, she had to stay present, because their time was limited. But damn, she was reminded of how well he knew her, physically. Rubbing his thumbs on her jaw, pulling her in closer. Her cheeks rose while their kiss deepened, while her left hand lightly ran through Fitz's gelled curls, careful to keep them set.

She groaned when Fitz gingerly inched away.

Looking right in her eyes, making sure they could _see_ one another, he said, "I have to go. But I want you to have a great day. Text me when you're free."

Olivia squeezed his hand as they walked to the door.

"Sounds good."

Another quick kiss and off Olivia went to grab her stuff, so she could leave, _finally_. Her new challenge — keeping a poker face around the office, so no one would know what was going on. This little secret of hers.

Olivia decided stay busy for the rest of the day; working on decorating the apartment would be a good idea.

She had a feeling the night would be a long one and she'd want Fitz at her place this time around...

* * *

 _I haven't finished a chapter this quickly in a long time!_

 _Dedicating this chapter to Miss Giulia. I hope you like._

 _It's short, I know...but next chapter...well, you'll see._

 _xo_


	9. Chapter 9

Check _out "Before Dark" by Such... it will be good for the second part of the chapter. :)_

* * *

Watching Olivia turn the corner, Fitz smiled to himself, knowing they were making progress. The week was completely hellish; not just professionally, but emotionally. After thinking he had left Mellie behind, she reappeared unexpectedly, and shook things up. So that was something he needed to figure out himself, how he felt by that. But then, the awkward moment affected Olivia tremendously. In his mind, he assumed she was someone who would be cold to any "lowly" competition. That was his mistake — shouldn't assume anything. The words were hurtful, understandably, but he had to make his intentions clear. Their conversation in his office returned them to a civil and friendly path. He was counting down the hours to see her, so they could talk, and hopefully, express themselves without words.

But now, he had to switch gears and do what he was good at. Not good, _great_.

It had been four months since he last anchored a newscast. Many memories flooded in as Fitz walked to the anchor desk. Swiveling in the chair, he thought about his years back home Los Angeles. The hours of working on scripts and prompts. All the long shifts, 4:30-11:50pm. Announcing breaking news, the camaraderie with Kimberly Mitchell, and others. Being the BMOC, and in the spotlight. Knowing his opinions mattered, and he was viewed as a go-to in the news community. He felt wanted and it was glorious. Sometimes at night, he questioned why he gave all of that up, so he could co-host a daytime local variety show, that was still in its trial run...

"Fitz?"

"Yes?"

Laurel called for him several times, finally making a connection. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was thinking about the last time I did this."

"Do you miss it?"

"A little bit. I don't miss the late hours, but then again I don't like waking up at 5:30 either."

Laurel grinned, tapping her pen lightly against the desk. "You'll be fine. I heard Liv is taking off tomorrow so maybe I'll sub in for her, if all goes well today."

"Huh?"

Twisting her fiery red lips, Laurel explained, "Cyrus told me an hour ago. She needs to clear her head and he told me to get ready."

Puzzled, Fitz was quick to answer. "That can't be right. I just talked to her, she didn't mention that. At all."

Laurel played it off, acting like the info she gave wasn't a bombshell in Fitz's ears; "Well, that's what I heard. You have to admit, she was acting like a diva, and to be new here, I don't think that goes well."

Narrowing his brows, Fitz mulled over his response, wanting to be extremely careful. He had barely talked to Laurel since their first day at the station. It appeared to be quite bold of her to be open with sharing. "Do you believe everything you hear?"

"No, but—"

"Were you on set with us this week," he calmly asked.

Laurel was beginning to get frazzled, tucking a few strands of hair behind her right ear. "No."

"Well," Fitz checked his notes. With a sly wink, he added quietly, "I think it's best to not discuss what you don't know about."

Laurel pivoted her chair forward, clearly embarrassed by the quiet "read".

"Okay."

In a timely interruption, Marcus approached, handing them new scripts. Once he left the desk, Fitz felt more comfortable to share what he wanted to tell Laurel.

"Look, I don't know what you were trying to do, but let's start this broadcast on the good foot. All I want is a stress-free hour. As far as I know, Olivia Pope has standards when it comes to her work, and I do as well. We should keep the gossip to a minimum."

 _There._ He asserted himself. Setting the tone, which was an element he was known for.

With a curt nod, refusing to turn towards Fitz, Laurel replied, "Duly noted."

The hour seemed to drag. During the commercial breaks, one of the producers mentioned how several viewers were raving about Fitz being the guest anchor.

 _An extra hour with Fitz Grant? How delightful!_

 _I wish OP was on with Fitz._

 _Maybe I'll start watching the 12PM news more if Fitz Grant was anchoring._

While Fitz smirked, pleasantly amused by the tweets, Laurel was not as pleased.

"Hmm, I guess our chemistry doesn't match," she huffed, then spat out a few choice sentences in her native tongue, Spanish.

"Everyone doesn't have the Pope and Grant touch," Marcus shouted from across the room, giving Fitz a thumbs up.

After they signed off, Fitz commended himself for not losing his touch. That was his main concern, but everything felt like a breeze. Reading the teleprompters, and cordially engaging with Laurel, the meteorologist, and the field reporters.

Strutting off stage, he checked his cell. Nothing from Olivia, but a few emails regarding future appearances in the city, popped up in his notifications.

While walking to his office, his phone buzzed. Cyrus was on the line.

"Hello?"

"Have you talk to her?"

"Who?"

"Olivia."

"Yes," he answered, unlocking his door.

"Good. Now I feel better."

"Oh really now?"

Cyrus gruffly commented, "Absolutely. I'm on edge when you're not on your A-game. Shit ain't right."

"What do you mean?"

"Your chemistry, Fitz. The genuine spark we saw during the screen tests. It wasn't there this week and I need to make sure it comes back and stays. Whatever you need to do— "

Combining a fast eye roll with his sigh, Fitz interjected, "Don't worry, I remember what you said."

"Now, don't stay up late, because I need you to be _on_."

Fitz was becoming concerned about all these strict orders from Cyrus. If anything, shouldn't the instructions come from Annalise?

"Okay, one last question before I go."

"Yeah."

"Did you ask Olivia to take the rest of the week off?"

"I gave her that option, yes."

"Why?"

Cyrus sighed heavily. "I thought it would be the best option, without getting Annalise involved. Olivia appeared to be going through a lot, and since I'm not privy to all the details, maybe a few days away from the station would help her out. You could read it all over her face, that she was not comfortable."

"So how would that help your goal? Of us being together? You don't want to stick it out with her? She's off her game for three days and you want to bench her?"

"It's been six weeks already, she deserves a break."

Fitz wasn't clear with his supervisor's reasoning. "That seems a bit unfair, don't you think?"

"I have to protect the show. If one of you display behavior that is not beneficial to the program, I have to consider options."

"Why didn't you ask me to take time off?"

"I did not think it was necessary."

Fitz lowered his brows, putting the call on speaker. "You did this because you assume she's not in control of her emotions?"

"Our show is different than a taped series, where we can stop and reset. Everything's live and everything counts. Maybe she's stressed, all is still new for her."

"So you don't think she's equipped?"

"Fitz, you have more experience. You're calm under pressure. She's still learning."

"But these are assumptions," he stated, trying to also stay chill. He didn't like how Cyrus was implying about his partner's demeanor. Sure, she needed to adjust, but to throw her under the boss. That did not seem right.

"Needless to say, she opted to stay on for the rest of the week. But promise me, you two will be on the same page. We can't have any blow ups. Spent too much money advertising…"

"Cyrus, what's going on with her, is none of your business. We talked. It got resolved, so let's move on."

"When it affects my ratings, it sure as hell does. And by the way, I would advise you to keep your ex away from Olivia."

The stern lectures needed to stop. Fitz was a grown man; he was not immune to correction, but the tone of Cyrus' comments were a bit too much, definitely out of line.

"So you do think this is my fault?"

"Actually, yes. If you knew your ex-girlfriend was coming, we wouldn't be in this mess. Olivia clearly was jealous of what you two had."

"No," he rebutted. "I was surprised to see her while I was working. Olivia responded negatively to what was said to her. I don't blame her, but I cannot control or belittle her feelings. Olivia is her own person. As much as you think we glued to the hip, we are not. With that in mind, I will see you in the morning."

"Sounds good."

Taking a beat, Fitz was catching on to what Cyrus was giving. The problem wasn't Olivia's reactions; it was how everything affected the show. Cy wasn't caring about them as individuals, wanting them to rest up. All he needed was the products deliverable. Whatever it would take, Beene wanted a good result.

Fitz should have guess by Cyrus' suggestion of getting physical was a huge red flag.

The walk back home helped him come to a decision: as long as he could keep everything with Olivia under wraps, they would be fine. Ripples that would disturb this formula would be unwelcomed.

Another thing to talk about in the evening.

* * *

"Mama, I'll be fine. No need to worry, I have a plan for the apartment, it's spacious enough for me and me alone. You don't have to come up to help. I mean, I want to see you, but that would be pointless."

Olivia was in the middle of decorating and it made sense to pass time with a phone call to her mother. On average, she saw her parents at least once a week, when they were all in the same town. It had been far too long since their last in-person visit, and it was weighing on her. But she chose this new direction in her career and they understood. Hopefully the break during Christmas would be a mood changer.

"Yes, Mama, work is great too. Nothing is perfect, but I'm here for the long haul. Once we past November, we should be able to breathe easier."

In the middle of her explanation, Olivia put the call on speaker, so she could keep moving and make use of both hands.

"That's all we want for you, dearie. Making sure you're safe and doing what you're called to do."

Mrs. Pope was a spiritual woman, always believing the universe would lead her daughter to the right places.

"Thank you."

There was a knock at the door. Anticipating a package or food, Olivia had to answer.

"Hey, can I call you back? The delivery guy is here. Okay, love you."

Olivia tossed her phone on the couch, then rushed to the door, looking through the peephole.

"Well, hello."

Greeted with a different kind of surprise, Fitz was standing in front of her. Back in his casual fall outfit — a blue sweater, jeans, and sneakers — holding a huge bouquet of roses.

"Good evening."

Olivia stepped back, so she could allow him to enter. She didn't even care how underdressed she was; only in a hoodie, leggings, and barefoot. She was in her own place, comfort was king.

"What is this for?"

Grinning while offering his gift to Olivia, Fitz answered, "To make up for the shitty week you had. Remember when you got flowers in your office?"

She groaned, "Don't remind me."

"I hope this will officially erase that bad visual."

Grateful for his attentiveness, Olivia smiled at Fitz, taking the roses to the kitchen. It definitely was a 180 from the useless gesture she received at work. She hoped he would surprise her with a beautiful token of appreciation and sure enough, it happened.

When she returned to the living room, Fitz was still standing in the middle of living room.

"Ooh, I forgot."

A simple round of "hello" kisses were delightful; his arms finding their favorite restig place — her waist, while she lifted her chin so their lips could meet. They were extra soft and inviting, and a wonderful solution.

"How was the rest of your day," he asked.

Olivia shrugged her shoulders, "Boring. I drove to Bethesda to get some furniture."

"Oh, yeah," Fitz questioned, plopping on the couch. "You got it all in your car?"

Waving her hand, she teased, "No, silly! They're delivering it tomorrow afternoon. But I did go overboard with kitchenware, and pillows, and other shit."

Fitz laughed, while observing her gorgeous curves. The sway of her hips were mesmerizing. "Nice!"

"I ordered a few dishes from the Deli across the street. Is that okay? Thought they'd be here before you came, but here you are."

"Sounds excellent."

The exchange of smiles and lovey-dovey eyes were adorable.

"How was your day?"

Fitz's laugh was caught in his throat. "I had an interesting afternoon, I'll tell you that."

"Really? I watched the noon broadcast. You looked good."

"Thank you. Do you get the feeling Cyrus is a fucking puppermaster?"

Olivia offered Fitz a bottle of water, then joined him on the couch. "Sometimes, why?"

"I didn't realize until now how serious he was about this show. It's like it's all he lives for."

"He just wants everything to be perfect."

"Too perfect."

Fitz poked Olivia's thigh. "So…we need to keep our lines of communication open."

"Agreed. I admit, I was jealous. Seeing her touching you like that... I shouldn't have taken it so seriously. I felt like an idiot. She knows you longer than me, but I thought I was fooling myself with my feelings."

Fitz stopped her, by rubbing her arm. "You have nothing to worry about. I forgive you, Liv."

"Thank you." Olivia blinked a few times, so stop herself from tearing up. Fitz was such a good friend.

"If I know anyone is going to try to hurt you, I'm going to protect you. I promise."

The food arrived, and the two had healthy appetites. While they ate, Olivia turned on Netflix.

"In the mood for anything?"

"Nope," Fitz said, toeing off his shoes, so he could stretch his legs.

Olivia found a simple drama to watch. After setting it up, she decided to get cozy with Fitz. Their legs tangled, finding a cozy position.

"This is nice."

"Same," he answered, giving her the crooked grin she adored.

Gradually, the movie became ambient noise, and Olivia couldn't stop studying his face, watching him watch her. Their eyes met. Fitz slowly licked his lips. The temptation, the wanting. She didn't want to fuck around this time.

She made the first move again, and she didn't regret it.

Their lips crushed, with tongues slipping out, and mouths open. Everything about this make out session was bold and hungry. Eventually, she was lying on top of him, grinding on him, feeling how hard he had become. His hands were on her ass, kneading her taut flesh, thankful she was wearing thinner material.

"Fitz?"

"Yes," he answered breathlessly.

"Would it be a crime if I wanted to take up on your offer from the other day. Remember?"

"Oh, yes, I do, and I was hoping you'd bring it up."

Olivia stroked his ear, which was gradually turning into a brighter shade of pink.

"Can you do something for me?"

She whispered, "Yes."

Fitz lifted her chin, kissing her again.

"Take off your clothes."

Olivia sat up, crossed her arms, and pulled the hoodie over her head. Only in a bra, she glanced at Fitz. Then, she slowly pushed the leggings down, revealing to him her legs that he definitely lusted over. Whenever she wore her form-fitting skirts, or even the first day they met when she had shorts on, he always paid attention to her toned legs.

"Fuck."

Not expecting Fitz to curse, she covered her mouth, stilling the rolling laughter in her belly.

"Thank you."

"I didn't mean to be filthy, but my God," he spoke with admiration, "You...are perfect."

Olivia smirked. The words soothed her as she lay back on the couch, waiting for Fitz to make the next move.

"Don't just ogle, come here and do something about it, Grant."

Fitz let out a chuckle. In thirty seconds flat, his clothes were on the floor.

Now it was Olivia's turn to drool over how gorgeous this man was, up close.

His hands roaming over her body, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. Her breasts, medium-sized, were full with hard, chocolate nipples, which kept Fitz's attention. Hungrily, he lapped her buds, taking his time to press his tongue on each. He moaned, elated for this moment. Always thinking about this. Of course, he was going to respect the boundaries, but once she gave him the go-ahead, Fitz was prepared.

With one hand, Olivia tugged on the growing curls at the nape of Fitz's neck, using them like reigns on a horse, guiding him where he should go or stay. The other, digging into his strong back. As he continued to kiss her skin, Fitz moved her panties to the side, brushing his thumb through her folds, exposing her wet core.

"I need you," she growled in his ear. As much as she enjoyed a good round of foreplay, the whole day had been a tease and she wanted this, _finally_.

Fitz nodded, inching away, leaning down for his jeans. In the back pocket, there was only lint.

"Shit. Shit!"

"What," Olivia asked, underneath him.

Rolling off of her, Fitz rummaged through his wallet. It seemed so juvenile, but he had to check. Nothing. Eyes big with slight embarrassment, looking down at himself, already pitching a tent, Fitz muttered, "I— Ummm.. Give me a minute."

Stumbling around, he hurried to get his jeans back on, grabbing his keys, and left for the unit across the hall.

Olivia breathed heavily, staring at the ceiling, with the irony not lost on her. Exactly when she wasactually ready for Fitz to plow into her, he wasn't. But that wasn't his fault; they needed to be safe. The tension was thick and finally, she was going to get all the things Fitz had promised to give. Or whenever he would return with a condom…

Counting down from ten, she heard his door slam, then her door also slamming shut. It must have been a miracle that no one was in the hallway, innocently walking to and from their residences.

In a rush, Fitz waved the missing piece, a gold foiled packet. He pointed at her, "Don't laugh."

Olivia used her arm to cover her chest, shaking her head. It was difficult, but she kept his request.

After removing his jeans, again, Fitz turned away, tearing the packet open..

"No," she encouraged. "Let me see you."

It had been a while since Olivia was blessed to see Fitz's dick. She enjoyed the view; he was thick in all the right places. Already ruffled brown curly hair. A broad chest with a smattering of hair all over, and a trim waist. She wondered how he looked working out... toned and so muscular. Legs for days, and his ass was tight and firm.

When he got settled, he looked at Olivia, who was watching him intently.

"What?"

Shrugging, Olivia grinned, pointing her toes, "Oh, just admiring."

"You're not too shabby yourself," he replied, strutting back to the couch. "You want to do this here?"

Olivia scooted down, making sure she was comfortable. "Absolutely. Fuck me."

"What?"

Confidently opening her legs for him, "You heard me."

Fitz lifted her, lining his dick with her opening, which was glistening.

"You are so wet."

"Fitzzzz," she sighed when he finally began his entry. She loved having sex; the first time having a man inside of her was always great, but then looking right at him while he did so, was such an exhilarating time for her, and a huge turn on.

While he slowly stretched her out, Olivia inhaled, then let out a huge breath when he finally reached his limit. She was already loving how his skin touched hers. Giving themselves a moment to adjust. He was so big and she was extremely tight. Fitz moaned again. But shortly after, once she knew how good he felt inside, they started to move.

Olivia looped her arm around his neck, as her pussy squeezed on his dick. The pace changed. While rocking at a dizzy speed, she mumbled, "I like this" and "fuck, yes".

That only encouraged Fitz to keep at it, slightly pulling away, only to fuck her again. He grabbed her thigh for a moment, then lifted her leg, so he could have a better angle. He glanced down to watch how his dick easily slid in and out of her tight and wet core.

"Damn," he smiled, finding her blissful face. "You feel amazing."

Olivia pulled him down, wanting to kiss him again and again.

There was no reason to turn on the TV, because it was just background noise. But it finally paused, so the only sounds being heard in the apartment, were coming from them. A steady fucking.

Fitz ended the kiss, working on getting her to completion. He switched his approach, making his strokes heavier, determined to make her clit throb even more.

"You're too good," she remarked, reaching over to slap his ass.

He grunted — they both realized he enjoyed that — and dipped his head, sucking on her nipple, grazing his teeth on her, adding another element.

Olivia knew she was close; her stomach contracting, and breath hitching. Biting down on his shoulder, she finally came.

It was glorious.

Five strong strokes later, Fitz collapsed, slamming his eyes shut, being in the moment of his orgasm.

"Damn," she wiped her forehead, a minute later. "That was… fun. How was it for you?"

Fitz kissed her cheek, neck, and chest. "I loved it."

They cuddled for another minute, before Olivia asked him to scoot over so she could get up.

"Damn. So soon?"

Olivia snorted, pulling her hair into a messy bun. "I'm sticky, baby, and I need to wash up. Care to join me?"

"Seriously?"

Olivia scooped her clothes into her arms, giving Fitz another chance to see where he was giving most of his attention recently.

"I got new towels, so…"

He accepted the invitation. Thankfully, it was a hot, slow, relaxing shower, because emotionally and physically, they were spent. In between lathering, he snuck in a kiss. She giggled, swatting him away so she could focus, but it was obvious she wanted to continue what he was doing.

"Welcome to my room," she gestured. "It isn't much."

"It's great. Next time," Fitz pressed his lips on Olivia's ear. He could feel her shudder. "I want to take you in your bed. Or my bed."

Swallowing dryly, Olivia thought of a few positions they could try with more space. Getting fucked by Fitz Grant was the highlight of her week. She regained her composure. "Thank goodness you live five seconds away. Your walk of shame won't be so... shameful."

Fitz clenched his fist, but only to softly and slowing tap the side of her arm. "Very funny, Pope."

"This is why I wanted to wait, so we could talk."

"I'm glad you did."

Olivia let the towel fall, seductively turning away, so Fitz could see all of her. Inching closer, he zoned in on the small mole on her back, and softly pressed his finger on it.

"So."

"So what," she mimicked.

Feathering more kisses on her skin, he asked, "What are we doing? If someone were to figure this out..."

She slipped out of his reach, putting her robe on. "We are friends, and co-workers, who like to spend a lot of time together. And we can decide how often we do this," she stated, tying the robe tighter. "But can we wait until after Thanksgiving to think about next steps? Ratings season will be over and we will know of its fate."

Olivia glancd at Fitz, waiting for his response, hoping for his approval.

"I can do that. But you need to not get jealous."

She let out a scoff. "You were pissed at her too."

"Of course, she's my ex. If you thought you're jealous, watch out for her!"

"Why?"

Fitz paused from drying his hair with a small towel, "Why what?"

"Why did you break up with her?"

He requested to use her lotion, after receiving the bottle, while moisturizing his skin, he revealed, "I wanted to be my own person. After a while, I knew she only wanted to be with me because of my footprint in L.A. I was a good asset for her, which was okay, but it was getting old. It was time to start over."

"I know exactly what you mean."

"Oh?"

Olivia gave a sad smile. "Yes. My last relationship had similar qualities. Everything was safe and there were decisions I had to make, to benefit myself, not him. Me not speaking up and living out the status quo was was the best move for him. But I wasn't satisfied."

Fitz left the room to get his clothes, all naked and beautiful. Olivia bit her bottom lip, feeling good about her decision to finally get physical with him.

He returned shortly, wearing his jeans. "So what are you thinking, Missy?"

Olivia shook her index finger. "Aht aht. It's already ten o'clock. I need to get to bed, Fitz."

"Yes."

"Ready for tomorrow? You are coming?"

"Of course," she answered. "Word went around?"

Fitz sighed, nodding, as he sat at the foot of the bed. "Yes. We have got to get a handle on this gossip. We can't be the only people worth talking about!"

Olivia rubbed her hand along the middle of his chest. "You're right. I agree with that."

With his now signature lopsided grin, he concluded, "Let's agree to do our best at our jobs, and if people want to talk, so be it. We're a team, on and off the soundstage."

"I'm all about that."

"Together?"

Olivia stepped forward, slipping her hand into his. "Together."

* * *

 _Hope this chapter was worth the wait and clarified some things for you, including you, anon, who left that very heated comment... Instead of leaving a guest note and projecting / assuming you know what I'm doing with my story, message me with your username; it's easier for me to answer you and it's less cowardly. And for those who read my stories, and are respectful with your questions and feedback, if you don't agree with certain things, I appreciate ya._

 _Happy and Merry! xo_


	10. Chapter 10

"Alright, folks, let's get this going. Goal is three takes each segment. Let's not fuck it up."

"Language, Cy!"

Annalise Keating's powerful alto exclaimed, correcting her right hand man.

Cyrus Beene was grouchier than usual, but the dynamic duo of Grant and Pope would not let his attitude ruin the assignment — various segments that would be used during the week leading up to Christmas.

The two walked on stage, donning decorative antlers and holding signs with festive greetings.

"You look decent," she muttered under her breath, still facing the camera.

Fitz nudged her arm. "Shhh. But by the way, beautiful as always."

"Okay, in five, four, three…"

"From all of us at the station, Merry Christmas!"

"Happy Hanukkah!"

"Happy Kwanzaa!"

"Happy Holidays," they both exclaimed.

After making eye contact, Fitz turned to the camera, adding, "And a Happy New Year."

"Cut! On to the next one."

Five minutes later, Olivia was reading a couple lines from a famous holiday poem.

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house. Not a creature stirring…"

Fitz interjected, "Not even Liv Pope!"

Olivia slammed the book shut, giving him a side eye. But then they started laughing.

"Unlike my cohost, don't let anyone interrupt the holidays for you," she commented, facing the camera, a grin crossing her face.

"Happy holidays!"

"Cut!"

As the staff busied about, the subjects moved their attention to each other.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Holiday party with friends," he replied, sticking one hand in his pocket. "You?"

"A quiet evening with my dog."

"You got a dog?"

"Mmhmm," she answered, fixing her skirt.

He knew she was fibbing.

"You would have told me."

"Please," she scoffed, "Who says I need to tell you everything?"

Fitz leaned into her, his lips ghosting her ear and the back of her neck. "You tell me lots, especially when I—"

Olivia cleared her throat, while Cyrus asked everyone to prepare for one more scene.

"And action!"

"Sleigh bells ring," Fitz crooned, rocking back and forth.

Olivia swayed to his rendition, allowing him to take her hand, so they could dance for a few seconds.

"From all of us at _Morning Live_ , enjoy your warm winter wonderland in our Nation's capital!"

Fitz smiled at Olivia, then winked at the camera.

"Cut!"

Cyrus rubbed his forehead, whispered something to Annalise. The boss stood from her chair, smiling from ear to ear.

"That's a wrap!"

Olivia carefully removed the antlers, feeling quite silly to have them on, but anything to help the show.

She gave the props to an assistant, but before she left, he was standing next to her.

"Meet me in our spot in ten minutes."

Their spot was a vacant room a floor below them. Right before their call at 8:45, if they hadn't been with each other the night before, they'd visit the space, exchange a few flirtatious words before nearly ruining their pressed clothes, with kisses and a little more touching than anyone would need to see before noon.

Olivia smartly declined. "Nope. When you can just see me at your next location. Okay, Annalise, thank you, see you next week!"

She left Fitz, with a jaw dropped.

A few days later, at the start of the holiday break, in his living room, they were participating in soft kisses and cuddles after a busy day.

Olivia barely crossed the threshold when Fitz took her, lifting her, pressing her against the wall.

"My goodness," she gasped.

"You shut me down the other day. I had to get back at you."

"You did too much back there, Fitz," Olivia complained, using her abs, glutes, and thighs, to keep herself level. "You're going to get us in trouble."

"That's not my problem that I can't control myself around you."

"What about our promise a few months ago?"

Fitz nipped her jaw, trying to silence her. "Pope, I'm working." Then, he returned to tugging on her lips, driving his tongue into her mouth.

A few minutes later, they were on the couch, grinding on each other, with kisses that were a tad sloppy and wet. They couldn't get enough of all the energy they brought.

In the background, they heard familiar voices.

"From our family at the station…"

She lifted her head, rolling off of Fitz's thighs. He groaned, annoyed by the small inconvenience.

"Shut it off, Liv."

"Why," she laughed.

"We were in the middle of something. I was too busy kissing you."

Olivia pointed at their images and teased, "We look good on the screen. Don't you agree?"

"I doubt you want to hear yourself while you're making out with your guy. I know I don't."

She shifted her eyes towards him, with her cheeks rising.

"How about I make it up to you in the other room?"

Delicately, she unbuttoned his shirt, lowering her head to kiss his skin with hair covering his tender spots.

Fitz hummed, stroking his finger on her cheek. "Livvie…girl..."

Cupping his groin, she whispered. "Meet me in our spot in one minute."

He met her there in thirty seconds.

After seducing her man, with laughs, and sweet whispers, riding him to completion, she snuggled in bed with him.

"Thank you," he mumbled, rubbing his nose on her neck.

"Soo…"

"Yes?"

Olivia sat up, putting her shirt back on. "I have a surprise for you. Come to my apartment when you have time."

She rushed to her place, turning on the light switch. Her living room was glowing with Christmas lights.

When Fitz knocked on the door, she was ready.

"Hey."

"Hi."

He admired the holiday spirit throughout the rooms.

"What's going on?"

Olivia bit her lip, taking his hand, leading him to the Christmas tree.

"Livvie…"

"Wanna make this official," she asked, looking at him with her expressive doe eyes.

Fitz couldn't help but smile big and wide. "Absolutely. Thought you'd never ask, beautiful. What a surprise."

"Good," Olivia looped her arms over his neck. "I knew you'd say yes."

The next kiss they shared was under the mistletoe, cleverly placed by the lady of the house, creating new holiday memories.

* * *

 _Merry Christmas, y'all! Xo_


	11. Chapter 11

When it came to social media, Olivia and Fitz were in different places. He was still getting used to the whole thing, needing to share on purpose, while she was a pro, experienced with all the new gadgets and apps. In their work lives, being TV personalities, staying relevant was important — in person and online. That included their Twitter and IG pages. Annalise sat them down before the holidays, encouraging them to post whenever they could. Retweet, like, and respond to most of the comments they'd receive. Whatever made them comfortable.

Fitz gradually started with random photos on set, reposting the professional shots or screen caps, and chose to take pictures of his everyday life, like his journeys to and from work. His co-host was more creative, using gifs and fun phrases to get their viewers to respond. She was in charge of taping some of the account's video clips on IG, and used them on her personal account. Once the crucial ratings week passed, a staff member suggested they'd do a Facebook live feed, right after a taping, and get viewers to ask questions. It went fairly well, so any thing to keep the focus on the show was nice.

After their lovely evening at Olivia's apartment, taking the next step of their relationship, the duo went their separate ways for the show's much needed holiday break— ten work days. Olivia flew down to Charleston to see her extended family for the first time since she left for Washington. Fitz's mother came in to stay for a few days, and they made plans to have dinner with friends in Virginia.

During their respective dinners on Christmas Eve, they were texting each other. Random comments mostly, because it was hard to sneak away and call, but once in a while, they'd share pictures.

Olivia was first to start the exchange.

 _You like?_

The Popes had a fun tradition of wearing colorful sweaters with sparkles, extra shapes, and loud patterns, or fun props such as Santa hats and glasses. Before the end of the night, the whole family would take a group shot. Olivia found a green top with a sassy, animated version of St. Nick, and wore that bad boy for most of the day.

 _Yes. It's festive._

 _Thank you_ , she answered, with a huge smile on her face. Then, she quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking at her. Being in a tight-knit family, it wasn't easy to keep things hidden, so she had to be clever. Whenever she had a new beau, all the family investigated and attempted to get clues from anything and everything she said. From experience, hearing "Why you smiling, Livvie," was annoying as all get out, as if she couldn't look happy for no good reason. Maybe after the debacle with her ex, that's why they may notice a change in her demeanor. But thanks to her lucky stars, no one noticed.

She received a photo text a hour later.

 _You think this would fit AK's criteria for good content?_

Fitz was sitting in someone's kitchen, in a brown sweater, hair slicked back, and a funky pair of holiday goggles with bright antlers. Not quite like her foam shades but still adorable. He was looking very handsome.

 _Absolutely. But at the dinner table?_

 _Look, I had to do it quickly, with the food in the background, before my Mom got on my ass. Adds a nice touch._

 _Post it!_

 _You sure?_

 _Yes..._

 _Why the fuck are we being so concerned about this during our break? Are we getting paid for this?_

Olivia texted back two emojis, a orange angry face, and a girl facepalming.

 _What?_

 _You scared? The ladies will love it. I think it's cute._

Fitz scoffed, but switched to his Instagram app. Getting her approval, even with sarcasm, was enough to push through. Instead of doing the normal post where followers could comment, he chose to document the night's activities via the stories option. He snapped shots with the guests, the decorations, and especially the food. His hosts were Italian, so they participated in the annual Feast of the Seven Fishes, but they took up a notch and made eight dishes. The last shot? His selfie, with a dorky caption: _"All about the eyewear"_.

It was getting late, so after he said "goodnight" to his Mom and Olivia, he fell fast asleep.

The next morning was nice; quiet time with his Mom, exchanging gifts, reminiscing, and drinking coffee. As he was getting ready to change out of his pajamas, Olivia texted him.

 _Hey. FaceTime me._

Before he could do that, he received several notifications from both apps.

He was tagged in a story post — Olivia paired their pictures with a title: _Who wore it better?_

Smirking, he voted for himself. Once he pressed on his name, he saw the tally — 38% for him and 64% for Olivia.

"Hello? Good morning."

"Hi."

"Hi."

His ears perked, hearing her voice and seeing her face in motion for the first time in a few days. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Fitz. What's up?"

"You wanted me to call you," he softly countered.

"I know... Did you see?"

He grinned. "I didn't know you were going to do that."

"Had to keep the viewers interested."

"By starting a competition?"

Olivia laughed, "It's all in good fun. Plus, we look cute together."

"You crack me up. Trying to start somethin'."

"Is that bad," she asked, sounding very mischevious.

He didn't want to take that route; he was starting to feel funny about keeping their relationship a secret. "Everything going well down there?"

"Indeed," she replied, letting go of her "professional" voice, with the Charleston roots coming out. "Gifts have been opened. We're cleaning up now and getting ready to have brunch. I'd help out, but Lord knows I don't cook well."

Playfully, he questioned her, pretending to take offense. "What? A Southern woman who doesn't cook?"

"Watch it, Mister," she warned, pointing her finger at the screen. "I can, but somehow, it doesn't always come out right."

"You can test your recipes on me."

"Stop," she interrupted, aware of her cheeks warming up. Fitz has a way of making her blush and feel all warm and fuzzy. Such an opposite from others, but she liked it. "You're too sweet."

He winked, "I try."

"Livvie!"

Mr. Pope was calling from downstairs.

"I know..."

"I'm sorry," she said.

Fitz nodded, wishing they could talk more, but understood. "Text me later."

"Sounds good." She poked out her lips, wishing he was right there to kiss her. "Byeee…"

By noon, tweets were popping up with a screenshot of Olivia's story.

 _I love OliviaPope and FitzGrant3 — they are so much fun! Miss them already._

 _Does anyone think the hosts on Morning Live should go on a date?_

 _That would be great,_ someone replied. _They're hot._

 _You can have chemistry and not date!_

 _But have you seen them? Something's there._

It was a little post, only seen for ten seconds, but it was making waves. For the right reasons? Who could say, but they weren't going to worry about it.

Later in the afternoon, Olivia's cousin ran up to her, was highly amused. "Hey, Liv. You're beating Fitz. Girl power!"

Grinning, Olivia, lifted her fist, "You know it! I look way better than him, don't you think?"

Meanwhile, Fitz received messages from Marcus and others, who joked about his "Dad" selfie.

"You need to step it up, man, with these photos. You're supposed to be giving sexy."

"I thought I was," Fitz commented.

Marcus suggested, "Next time, you should get help from Michaela, or someone from your ideal demographic for these photos."

Fitz chuckled, knowing full well _who_ could assist.

For the rest of the day, he and Olivia communicated through texts; he liked how they were connecting outside of work. There was no pressure, which was very important.

A text from Annalise woke both of them up, literally: _Love the shades, you two! When we return from break, can we schedule a quick meeting?_

* * *

LOL, I said on twitter, I was going to stop writing for the remainder of the week. But that didn't happen. Next update: y'all's favorite... _The Look_. I did say I'd update by the 31st, and that's going to happen. xo


	12. Chapter 12

Olivia was always someone who would capitalize on a vacation, relieved to partake in consecutive days of no makeup, outfits that did not include dresses and pantyhose, and to rise after the sun. Any time to get a break was appreciated and desired.

But this time around was different, surprisingly. She was actually excited about her work — in a place where she thrived — as the cohost of a fairly new and successful morning show. Along with that title, she received perks she believed she deserved. Local endorsements, potential speaking engagements, invitations to specific circles, and being a face for the vibrant community.

Things were good and there was no stress. Back home, Olivia was always on the defensive, wanting to prove to herself that she had what it took. Now In Washington, there was an adjustment and expectations were high. But in her mind, it was the best kind of change.

She couldn't deny the slight addition of being romantically interested in her co-worker. It had been so long since she had butterflies about someone. Wanting for that person to look her way, reach out, and touch her, ever so tenderly.

It had been two weeks. Excrucatingly long. As far as she knew, she wasn't confused about her feelings for Fitz. However, she was unsure about how to have a healthy relationship without messing up her career. For some reason, she thought she could not have both.

Olivia was always thinking. No matter what, she had to have a plan. Or the makings of one. She was meticulous, pondering all the options: diversion, mischief, acting out sneaky plans. Even to the point of denial and rebellion.

Her goal? To keep everything separate. If it wasn't work related, it didn't need to be discussed. That was the struggle. Slowly, she was getting closer to some of her co-workers. Happy hours, brunches, and group text messages were involved, and everyone decided to share what they wanted.

But the elephant was moving towards the room Olivia wanted to remain empty.

How does one keep a secret, just that — _a secret_?

As much as she liked attention, getting noticed and recognized, Olivia did treasure her privacy. That would include tightening the narrative surrounding her love life, or lack thereof. Everyone knew she was single, but not interested.

The lies she told and they believed.

If word actually got out that she was involved with the one and only Fitz Grant, there would be a lot of explaining to do.

But would that really be a problem?

Olivia was overwhelmed with him. She had been counting down the days until she'd see him without using technology. In person. Hearing all the promises he'd made once he had her in his arms. Telling him where she'd like to have him.

The thirst, desire, and hunger was real.

* * *

January 5th was the first day back. Olivia waited until the last minute to return from Charleston, because she had a strong feeling her schedule wouldn't allow returning for a while. During her visit, she crossed paths with Edison, which was awkward to say the least. He still did not apologize for being rude, but he wanted details on her new job. She chose to not divulge; there was no point.

She returned very late the night before, and did not want to disturb Fitz. But during a text exchange when she landed at National, they agreed to meet before work. Their texting habits had gone up by about 150 percent. Always sending random notes with humorous and adorable emojis. The typical "still new to this" boyfriend / girlfriend stuff.

On the way to the station, Olivia met Fitz at the nearby coffee shop. It would have been more convenient to see each other at home, since there was only a hallway separating them. But Olivia did not enjoy using the gym at the complex. There was another gym five minutes away from WWTK, and it benefitted her. Getting up by 5, starting the workout at 6, looking over emails during breaks, so she could get to her office by 7:15. But she started her routine earlier, and was able to finish by 6:30, so they could have a good hour together.

It had been a while since she visited this particular shop, and she was sporting a new hairstyle, so maybe no one would judge her wearing an oversized sweatshirt, dark vest, leggings, and sneakers. But then again, she looked like most ladies in the District. Gym / yoga apparel was the trendy uniform.

Her heart became full when she found Fitz, sitting in the corner, on his phone. He looked up, immediately smiling back, shot up from his chair, made a beeline to her.

"Hi."

"Hi," she greeted, with a big smile.

"Good morning."

Letting down her guard, Olivia wrapped her arms around Fitz's waist. He kissed her cheek.

"Fuck," she whispered, "I've missed you." She caught a whiff of his cologne, and she had no shame admitting how her body responded to it.

Sighing, he agreed, "Me too."

On cue, they returned to their signature friendly banter, to offset the intimate reunion. Everything was subtle while they waited in line. Light pinky touches. Communicating through eye contact. A soft sigh here and there. They missed of all of this. It was easy to exchange these sweet gestures under the guise of being partners on-screen. Their work personalities were viewed as infectious and they could to get to know each other better, learning the opposite's nuances, without spoiling anything.

The café was empty, so there was no hesitation in discussing candidly in the far corner of the space.

"What do you think she wants?"

"Who knows," Olivia answered, stirring her coffee. "Probably scheming to highlight our playful social media life."

Fitz set his mug down, incredulously replying, "Please, you're the one who started all of this. You're the one who got us into this mess."

Olivia closed her eyes, sipping the dark roast she ordered. "We shall see."

"You're cute."

"Hmm, okay, buddy," she retorted. "Way to divert. And the answer is nope."

"What? Giving me lip? In your delectable Southern accent," he quipped, with his ocean blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

Waving him off, Olivia continued to enjoy and finish her coffee. One of her pet peeves growing up was catching flak about how she talked, but she did admire Fitz's attentiveness. He knew when she switched gears. The beauty of spending down hours with the cohost. They both noticed all the small things. She could tell when he was tired by how his hand gestures would slow down. His ears would reddened whenever he was turned on. When he was bashful, he'd sometimes fumble over his words, which was rare, because he was usually so eloquent.

Her eyes met his and her cheeks rose. A bold tell that she was not angry. She watched him zone in on her pouty mauve lips. It made her heart skip.

"Finish up, so we can get out of here."

"And do what?"

"You."

Fitz's eyebrows rose, feigning surprise. "Me?"

"Yes," she quietly stated, batting her eyes above the oversized mug. "Do. You."

"In the office?"

Slowly nodding, Olivia stated, "Instead of where? We can't go home."

"We need to see Annalise first."

"Ahh, yes, work calls. But… I'm eager to have you."

"Two weeks, Pope."

"I know… how did we ever get through it?"

Fitz touched his chest, pretending to be injured. "Cheeky, you are. It hurts."

"You know you've missed me."

"I did."

"Ditto."

"Oh my God! Hi!"

Interrupted by the high-pitched voice, the duo's heads lifted sharply, finding a young woman enthusiastically smiling at them.

"I'm sorry, but I have to tell you that I love your show! It's so much fun. You guys are the best."

"Thank you," they graciously responded, in tandem.

"Are you doing a segment here?"

Olivia pleasantly answered, "Not today, but we will talk to our boss about it."

In smooth fashion, Fitz segued into asking, "Would you like to take a picture with us?"

The woman's face lit up; "That would be amazing. Only if that works for you."

Fitz glanced over to Olivia, wanting to make sure she'd be fine. Thankfully, she agreed.

"Of course! Let's do this."

The two stood on either side of the woman, framing the viewer; all three cheesing. Fitz stretched his arm out to take four quick shots. When they were done

"Thank you! I hope you have a great day."

After the woman left, Olivia mumbled, "That was nice. I hope she wasn't listening too closely."

"Hmm. What if she was?"

Scoffing, she lowly reprimanded. "Fitz…"

"I jest. But seriously...what if she did?"

A bit flustered, Olivia rummaged through her purse. "I don't want to think about it."

"Eventually, we're going to have to talk about it."

Olivia nudged his shin with her boot, wanting him to move on. "I know... Annalise would give us the business if she found out later than others. Can we talk about this after work?"

Fitz bit his lip, taking in her mannerisms and uneasieness. "Of course."

* * *

"Can you take a few pictures of me?"

Olivia had changed into her outfit for the morning, a magenta sweater and red skirt, with pink heels, mic in place, and back in the saddle.

"Sure," Fitz replied, taking her phone.

Standing off to the side of the show's logo and background, Olivia posed, giving a few looks. As Fitz snapped away, she pivoted, beleved, and added a hip pop. Aftewards, she selected her favorite, posting on IG to give her followers something new to see.

 _Hey, y'all! Did you miss me? We're back and ready to share what's going on in our area. Join us at 9am! #morninglivedc_

"You?"

Fitz took a step back, grinning as he slid his hands into his front pockets. "No thanks. I'll take a picture of the set or something."

"Fine," she relented, beginning to strut away. "But you know you'll get more likes when you show your face."

Another successful show in the books, full of laughs and engaging segments. It was a testament to the strong leadership of Annalise and Cyrus, to trust Fitz and Olivia. With only four months in the making, _Morning Live_ had taken off, and brought in glorious ratings. First in the essential demographics for the area, for the 9am hour, which made everyone in the office happy.

But after the group meeting, the two had their own briefing with Annalise. Outside of the delightful text on Christmas, they had no clue of the subject matter.

Obviously, they'd be waiting because Annalise was a booked and busy woman. Olivia perused emails, and snuck a peek at whoever tagged her on social media. Fitz hummed to himself, swinging his leg over the other, trying to stay calm.

The beautiful executive director strutted in, all smiles.

"Hello again, you two. Sorry for being late. How are you two doing?"

Olivia shot her gaze at Fitz, amused by the cheery disposition.

He started by answered, "I'm well, how about you, Liv?"

"Likewise. Everything is going well."

"That's wonderful." Annalise paused, to observe them. "Oh, come on. Don't look like you're going to shit yourselves. Nothing to fear. All good news."

Feeling a bit silly, Olivia pulled at the bottom of her red skirt, while Fitz audibly gave a sigh of relief.

"I am quite thrilled by your progress with this show. You click and it is so evident on camera. Which is why I'd love for you to do a little more press. Potentially a monthly bit during the noonday broadcast. Also, I'm getting word that some of your social media posts has reached all over the country. Olivia, ten thousand views? Connor brought it to my attention. That's amazing. And with your charming self, Fitz, you're hard to miss with our audience."

That was the keyword for _You're hot, you know it, and the ladies are here for it._

The two shared a glance, then returned the focus to their boss.

With a smile, Annalise proposed, "I think this could bring in more viewership. We love it! No, I love it! Whatever you're doing, keep it up."

 _If only she knew what they were doing…_

"So, if we can schedule a meeting next week, we can determine how we can further our efforts in this next quarter."

Fitz nodded, while Olivia clasped her hands on her lap.

"That would be excellent."

Revealing her thousand-watt smile that was rarely seen, because she was either never around, or needed to lay down the law, Annalise exclaimed, "Brilliant! Wow, you guys are the reason why I'm beginning to love my job again. I picked good apples. Alright! Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll see you soon."

After saying their goodbyes, Olivia and Fitz left, journeying towards their offices. They moved so well together, side by side, even with the height difference.

"Wow."

With a chuckle, Fitz added, "That was a close call. I thought she'd chew us out."

Olivia leaned in, while they passed the conference room, "If you keep looking at me, we'll be toast."

Fitz lightly touched her arm, making her stop. "I can't observe the beauty and wisdom of my cohost? All these rules, Miss Pope. It's so hard to keep track."

Without letting him finish, Olivia started walking again. They arrived at Fitz's office first, and he welcomed her in.

"How much do you have left?"

Taking off his jacket, Fitz said, "I have to make a few calls and then I'll be done."

Olivia was glad with the response, as she sat down. "Okay. After that, we should head out. If that's okay with you."

Fitz laughed, "You don't have to tell me twice."

"I was thinking."

"What?"

Swaying in the chair, Olivia delicately spoke, "Well... I booked a room downtown for a few days. You should join me."

"What?"

Lifting her right shoulder ever so slightly, she continued, "Mmhmm. A little room service. A little TV. A lot of knowing you better."

The smirk Fitz was prone to showing every time he was amused, was present. Olivia loved that. He must have liked the suggestion.

"I think that sounds like a great idea. But aren't you tired of sleeping in a room that's not your own?"

Olivia let out a sigh. "Don't worry about that, Mr. Grant. What's important right now is that I capitalize on every chance I get to spend time with you."

"Hey!"

They both jumped. Marcus Walker, one of their friends, who hosted the early morning broadcast, appeared, most likely unaware of the conversation.

"Maggiano's is downstairs. Y'all should stop by, before the noon crew devour everything."

Olivia chuckled, swinging the chair around to face Marcus, doing her best to mask her disappointment. "Why should we be rushin'? They just got here. We've been here since 8."

"Who knows and who cares? Hey, we're getting drinks tonight. Either of you interested?"

This time, Olivia did not move. She didn't want Marcus to think she needed approval from Fitz, or hint at the decision to make joint plans. Some of the interns had affectionately called them the new "work husband and work wife".

"Umm, I'll think about it. With the first day back, I need to get back into my routine. But I'll let you know by 3."

Marcus nodded, "That's cool, man. How about you, O?"

Olivia politely declined; "Let me know when the next one is."

"No problem."

Marcus backed out of the room. Once the coast was clear, Fitz closed the door, leaning against it, giving Olivia a knowing look.

"What are you doing?"

"What I wanted to do a few minutes ago?"

Olivia tucked her right foot behind the other, hands on her lap. "And what's that?"

"Hush, girl."

Fitz took a few steps forward, to the chair and tipped Olivia's chin upwards. She smiled as their lips met. Nothing fancy or scandalous, just a long, warm kiss. The one they wanted to share a few hours earlier, but time was not on their side. Perks of being top tier employees — their office "windows" were opaque, and hard to look into. So they could sneak in a kiss or two.

But it was never just one kiss. Or two.

Fitz pulled her to standing, so they could be more comfortable. Olivia opened her mouth slightly, encouraging him to keep going. And he did. Her skin flushed, reacting to how the tips of their noses brushed in between kisses, and his hands wandering up and down her body.

To give him a surprise, her left hand hovered over his dick, gradually rubbing over the fabric, while her right hand was behind his head, carefully moving her fingers through his hair.

"Shit," he hissed.

They had a running joke about who would relunctantly pull away first.

A minute in, she lost. There was no surprise.

"Mmhmm," he said, "I knew it. I never lose."

"Shut up. You know you'll get more later."

Fitz adjusted himself, while Olivia wiped a little bit of lipstick off with her thumb.

"I really like these post-show meetings."

"Get the fuck..."

Olivia giggled, always the teaser. "You know you love them. I'll text you the room number, okay?"

"See ya," Fitz waved, returning to his desk. "Leave the door open."

She had all afternoon to get ready for their evening, packing two days worth of clothes and essentials, including a pair of lingerie that would send Fitz over the moon.

After she checked in, Olivia sent Fitz the info.

 _St. Regis. Room 1385. 5?_

 _Don't be late._

It wasn't until she opened her phone again, thirty minutes later, that she added one little expression at the end of the text.

 _xo_

* * *

 _I know it's been a while. Take care of yourselves, stay safe. xo_


End file.
